Gregor and the War to End All
by Writertobe1
Summary: Four months after returning from the Underland for what was thought to be the final time, Gregor has moved to a family farm in Virginia. However, he can't stop thinking about the world he left behind, and specifically, the girl that he left behind. This is my first fanfiction novel, feedback (reviewing especially) is greatly appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Gregor awoke with a start. Nightmares again. It seemed like every time he closed his eyes, he was back in the Underland, watching the Bane bite through Ares' throat. Or watching his mom, covered in purple spots from the plague, slowly wasting away in the hospital. Always watching. And then there were the falling dreams. He had those almost every night. Falling, falling, with no one to catch him, no one to stop the pain that was sure to come at the bottom. Then he would hit bottom and wake up in a daze. The phrase "Sweet dreams," was a distant memory.

It had been four months since he had last been down under the earth. He had left Regalia in a state of relative peace between the rats and humans. He had killed the Bane. He had fulfilled the prophecies. But he had also left behind all that he knew and trusted. Scars covered his body from the many wounds that riddled his skin. But what hurt more were the emotions inside, the memories, the longing to see those companions that he would never see again. Ever. Unless…, _No! Don't start thinking about that again, you'll just make yourself crazy,_ thought Gregor. He was trying very hard to be content with the life that awaited him. In Virginia. They had moved out of their apartment in New York and now were living in Virginia.

_Why Virginia?_ thought Gregor, _Why not Long Island or New Jersey or something like that? Then at least I might have a chance to get…__**Ugh**__!_ He couldn't help it. Those thoughts just kept coming. He would find himself mapping out a plan to get back to New York, to Central Park, to the tunnel, to the place where he would drop and Ares would… and that is where the plan crumbled and he went to his room and sat and finally embraced the memories that kept coming back.

He remembered the time when he had first fallen, finding Temp and the giant cockroaches, who took them to the arena. He remembered 'The Prophecy of Gray' and his first quest to find his dad. He remembered meeting Ripred the witty, sarcastic, yet uncannily wise rat. He remembered how Ares had saved his life, choosing him over his bond. He remembered bonding with Ares, thus saving the bat's life. He remembered his second time down, when the crawlers 'stole' Boots and he had to go after her. He remembered Twitchtip, the scent-seer who had first informed Gregor that he was, in fact, a rager, a natural-born killer. He remembered seeing the baby Bane for the first time. He remembered giving the Bane to Ripred to raise, and subsequently being tried for high treason. His third time down, when his mom had gotten sick with the plague and he went on another quest to find the cure. He remembered how, in the end, he never really needed to look. His last trip down, he had gone on a 'picnic' that had gotten Thalia the bat killed. He remembered watching the nibblers 'spin and snap, quiet while they take a nap,' in the volcano. He remembered being thrown in jail for sneaking out and finally getting the hang of echolocation while behind bars. He remembered then finally fighting the full grown and dangerous Bane. He remembered watching the Bane, in his dying breaths, kill Ares, his bond. He remembered saying goodbye to all of them. He remembered telling them that he would be okay.

That was a total lie. He was not okay. He was not okay with leaving behind his friends, who had become like family to him over the years. He was not okay with being in the Overland for good. Ever since he had closed the cover on the tunnel in Central Park his last time, even though he didn't want to, he kept planning in his head how he could get back. How he could see them again.

But his family had moved to Virginia. That threw a wrench into any plans he had of getting back without making a real fuss. He didn't understand why they had moved. It seemed as if his parents thought that moving and planting some tomatoes would be healing. It was like saying, "Oh, I know you practically died defending those people. I know you finally fit in somewhere. I know you will never even be able to wear short sleeves in the summer anymore because of the scars. But I think moving away from it all will magically heal the wounds, inside and out!"

Gregor wasn't sure where that thought had come from. Why couldn't they just see how he was rotting away inside, unable to take sixty seconds without thinking about the Underland? _Stop. You know why Mom doesn't want to go back there. You know why Dad can't even think about going back down, _Gregor thought. It was true, he did. His mom, in the time she had been under the earth, had contracted a deadly plague which developed into a case of pneumonia which made her so weak she couldn't stand up. Not only that, she had also seen her boy slowly accumulate the scars that riddled his skin.

It was even more understandable that his dad didn't want to go back. He had been kidnapped and held by the rats down there for…what was it? Two years, seven months, and thirteen days, give or take a week or so, since it's hard to tell time in the Underland, because there is no sun. Even when he had been rescued, he was never the same. Externally, he had a strange disease that he had picked up from the Underland somehow, a fever that would never go away. Internally, like Gregor, he could never forget the Underland. He had been captured, tortured, and abused by the rats in ways he would never put to words. He left the Underland a changed man, never to be a science teacher again.

Lizzie, well, she left the Underland different, too. She wasn't nearly as scared of everything as she was before. She had actually made a ton of friends in Virginia, which, when Gregor thought about it, was ironic, because he had always been the outgoing one of the family. She had always been the quiet, withdrawn one. Three years ago. Before the Underland.

If only…that began a ton of Gregor's thoughts these days. If only I could be back down there. If only I could see Luxa and Ripred again. That was another thing. Those two were bonds now. They had sworn to defend each other to the death. This unofficially meant that the gnawers and the humans had a peace that they had never known before. Not in their lifetimes, anyway.

If only… He had been trying to stop thinking about it. It wasn't working. Every time his mind drifted, it was to the Underland. _You can't help it. You will never forget, _he thought.

"Gregor, bekfast!" Boots called from downstairs. She had finally learned how to pronounce his name right a few months ago. She still struggled with some longer words, though.

"Coming!" he replied. _Oh well, time for another day,_ Gregor thought. He walked downstairs to the smell of eggs and bacon. There was something to be said for a good breakfast, he supposed.

"Wash your hands, please," said his mom. Once she had recovered from the pneumonia, she had adjusted back extraordinarily quickly to an Overland life. Gregor supposed she had to, in order to come across as normal. As normal as Gregor's family could be. As Ms. Cormaci used to say, "People might ask questions!" It was true, there were many things his family could not afford, but questions topped the list.

He ate quickly and grabbed his backpack, practically running out the door. "See you later, everybody!" he shouted as he rushed out the door.

"See you later, baby!" his mom replied from somewhere inside the house.

Gregor was glad it was only a ten-minute walk to school from his house. Much longer and he would have time to think on his way. He decided to think about school that day, ignoring the obvious. Compared with the Underland, school was a breeze. He mostly got Bs, even the occasional A on his report card. At first, the school had wanted to hold Gregor back a grade because he was absent for a lot of sixth and seventh grades. But his mom had told the principal that Gregor was really "very smart" and would "fit right in".

They were still running on the excuse that he was sick for all of those absences. That was a stretch, considering some of those ran for weeks on end, but the school bought it, and that was all that mattered. Sometimes, he would even fake having a cough or something, just to fit the 'chronically ill' part that he had to play. He had even come up with a reason for the scars, in case anyone asked. If they did, he would just say that he was in a bad car accident when he was younger. Hiding the truth had become a way of life.

He had been in school for three months now, and had made a grand total of zero friends. Mostly it was because he was scared that anyone would notice that something was wrong. But part of him was still trying to figure out how to live again, how to "fit in" as his mom put it. He had been struggling with "fitting in" for months. He couldn't afford to be vulnerable up here. If his secret got out…no, he couldn't think about that. They would probably lock him in some insane asylum with psychiatrists trying to coax out the 'truth'. The sad thing was, the truth would only make him sound more insane. No one would believe. No one would even care. No one ever cared. No one will ever care.

_Gosh, that's sad_, thought Gregor. _Only thirteen and already giving up on life_. He gave up and surrendered to the thoughts of the Underland for the remainder of the walk. He was almost there. Just a couple more minutes and he could attempt to lose himself in his work. It was a welcome distraction. What he would give for a day without those thoughts.

The bell rang and Gregor breezed through the first few periods. Math, literature, history, science. It was the same routine every day, and Gregor loved it. There was a sense of order, of substance, in the supposed boring cycle. Lunch was always difficult, not only because the food was not always the best.

The worst part about it was sitting alone at a table in the corner by the vending machines. The vending machines weren't the bad part either, it was the alone part. Being alone gave him time to think, and thinking hurt most times. It didn't help that science was his last class before lunch. Almost every day, the teacher would say something that Gregor's dad, a former science teacher, had said at some point before. That usually was all it took to take his mind back to the Underland. It also didn't help that he didn't have anyone to talk to. That wasn't going to change, though.

The bell rang again, and Gregor again tried to lose himself in schoolwork. After school, he would do his homework using the computer for research. Every so often, he would search 'Mysterious Disappearances in Virginia' or something along that line.

He remembered that Vikus had mentioned that there were five known entrances into the Underland. He already knew where two of those were, one in his old apartment's basement laundry room, and one in Central Park. It made sense that the others would be nearby, but the Underland was huge. Just the part that the Underlanders had settled and charted covered hundreds of miles. And then there were the Uncharted Lands. Who knew how long they went? Maybe around the world.

Still, he couldn't help thinking that somewhere around here there was an opening. Virginia, on a global scale, was not that far from New York, and who said that distances were the same there as here?

"Gregor, dinner!" called Lizzie. She was far more outgoing than before her trip underground. She had a boatload of friends from school. She had sleepovers practically every weekend. Gregor was glad for that, at least Lizzie had survived her trip down without many emotional scars. She was probably the only one besides Gregor who probably wouldn't mind going back. She would probably like to see Ripred, actually. She hadn't seen enough of Ripred to know better.

Actually, the fact that Lizzie had to call upstairs for Gregor to come down for dinner was an improvement in itself. Back in New York, they had only had a small apartment for the five of them. Gregor, when he was aboveground, had slept in what was supposed to be a closet that his mom had squeezed a bed into. Now he had a whole room just for himself. A couple weeks after they came up for the last time, they had received a package from Vikus, filled to the brim with money. Gregor didn't know where the Underlanders got all that money, but in the end, it didn't matter. Maybe they got the money that fell through all of the sewage drains of the world or something. His mom had put away most of that money to start renting the new house. The rest was for nurses for Grandma, who died only a few weeks afterwards. Mom was sad that Grandma had never seen the home in Virginia. She knew that that was where Grandma belonged.

Dinner certainly looked good when Gregor came downstairs. It was Tuesday, so it was steak and potato night for the family, Gregor's favorite meal of the week most times. "Wash your hands, please," came from the kitchen.

"Ok, Mom," replied Gregor. He washed his hands and sat down at the table with the rest of the family. He ate fairly slowly, his mind still drifting in the Underland.

"You okay, sweetie?" asked his mom.

"Yeah, you're really quiet tonight. Is there something wrong?" asked his dad.

"No, nothing's wrong. Just thinking about homework and stuff. Boy, is this steak great or what?" replied Gregor, not so skillfully avoiding the question. Gregor had yet to become an expert at avoiding questions. He was, however, an expert at shielding his parents from the problems that he faced. He didn't wish his problems on anyone else.

"Well, yes, I suppose it is. I tried a new marinade this week, and I think it really improves the taste. You know, I…" and he went off on a tangent about grilling techniques. Gregor had, thankfully, chosen an excellent topic to change to. His dad could talk for hours about things like this. Since he had been aboveground again, he had been only working part-time as a hall monitor at the school Gregor went to, so he had the time to dabble in other things. Not that he didn't want a full time job, but with that strange disease, he could feel fine in the morning and be sick as a dog by the time the clock struck noon. He guessed that hall monitors had pretty flexible hours.

Gregor finished up quickly, excused himself, and went back to his room, supposedly to do more homework. When he was gone, his mother said, "I wish his teachers would give him less homework. I'm all for a good education, but he should be able to do other things." How little she knew. Not that that was a bad thing. Gregor would rather look overworked than heartbroken.

_Why do I feel homesick even when I'm home? _Gregor thought. _You know why_, he answered himself, _You don't belong here anymore. You are an outcast here. No one cares about you. Not many ever did up here._ Then he thought, _Well, why do you think that you would feel at home in the Underland?_ Not _many cared about you down there, either._ That was true. Luxa was one of the only ones that genuinely cared about him. Ares had, but he was dead. Twitchtip had, but she was dead too. So was Cartesian. So was Tick. And the list went on and on. Ripred was still alive, but you couldn't really say he loved anything. _Yikes, I'd probably end up like Ripred if I did live down there. Like Ares. Like an outcast. Useful in war, but dangerous and useless any other time. In a time of peace, who really needs a warrior? _As he thought, he realized how tired he was. He drifted off to sleep, preparing for the nightmares to come.

When Gregor woke up the next morning, he was surprised to find that he hadn't had a nightmare like he usually did. _Wow. I forgot how sleeping without nightmares felt._ It's true; he had had nightmares of some sort almost every night for the last few months. _Maybe I'm like Mrs. Cormaci's husband, who went off to war when he was younger,_ Gregor thought. _Mrs. Cormaci said that after that, her husband was plagued with nightmares for the rest of his life. Plagued with memories._ Yep, that was about it. That's pretty much how Gregor felt most of the time. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like to live for decades, weighed down with images that he couldn't shake. _Well, I suppose I can relate, at least,_ he thought.

"Gregor, bekfast!" called Boots. Boots was lucky. She was too little to have these feelings. When she grew up, she probably wouldn't remember much of anything that happened in the Underland, even though she had witnessed a good portion of the bloodshed. That was the great thing about three-year-olds. Gregor envied that. He would give anything to forget.

_Here we go again_, thought Gregor. _Time for another day_. Walking downstairs, he noticed a cockroach on the wall. He had sworn to never swat another crawler, so he picked it up and put it outside. _Strange_, Gregor thought. _I haven't seen any cockroaches since we moved down here._ His old apartment was full of them, so many that the crawlers had declared his mom "Most Fearsome Swatter". Gregor forgot about the incident as soon as he saw breakfast. Since last time he came up, he had been on a growth spurt, and was, as the Underlanders would say, "Eating like a shiner." This referred to the fireflies in the Underland, whose loyalty was decided on who could fill their stomachs best. And they ate a _lot._

After breakfast, Gregor rushed off to school. He wasn't late, but he would rather be by himself for a while. He was careful not to show how much he was hurting, even to his parents. If they knew, they might actually make things worse. And anyway, Gregor was getting to be skilled at hiding his emotions. _There are only a couple people who I can really talk to anymore that would understand. The problem is, in any likelihood, you will never see them again._

Luxa, the queen in the Underland, would understand, or at least have compassion for him. Truly, though, there was only one creature on the face of the earth that could understand what he felt. Ironically, however, it was the one creature on the face of the earth that he did not want to talk to. Or rather, below the earth. Ripred.

Ripred the gnawer was the only person… well, creature… that could truly understand, not just be compassionate. But Ripred wasn't compassionate. He cared for nothing but himself. Mutual need was the only thing that kept him from being a total jerk all the time. _Still, he would understand_, thought Gregor_. He, like me, has lost almost everything he ever cared about_. That was true; Ripred had lost his entire family in a battle that wasn't his fault. That was the thing that had driven him to believe that peace was the best idea. Not war. But that didn't keep him from being a pain half the time. He would probably be an enemy of Gregor's had he not chosen the right side.

Being an enemy of Ripred's tended to be a bad decision for most, though. Ripred, like Gregor, was a rager, a natural-born killer. Almost no one could defeat a rager in battle, especially not single-handedly. Ripred had said, "I start to crack at about four hundred to one." Gregor had so many reasons to talk with Ripred, but he still didn't want to face him. He was afraid that Ripred would just laugh his problems off like they were nothing. Then again, they probably were in comparison with Ripred's. _It doesn't matter. You'll never see him again. You'll never see any of them again. _

He reached school and went through the first five periods just like any other day. Then came lunch, just like any other day. He took his seat at the empty table in the corner next to the vending machines, just like any other day.

But something different happened that day during lunch. An enormous rat came out from behind the vending machines. Well, not Underland enormous, just Overland enormous. At first Gregor was too stunned to do or say anything. He just stared at the rat, while the rat stared back at him. After a good five seconds of staring, Gregor finally found enough sense to yell, "It's a… a… it's a… RAT!" That threw the cafeteria into a panic, naturally. All of the girls screamed and the guys tried hard not to. Gregor just sat at his seat, staring at the rat. It ran out of the room and into the hallway, causing mass panic.

Gregor just sat and wondered, _How did it get in here? It would have to go through the front door, through the hallways, and back behind the vending machine without anyone noticing it._ Considering the panic it caused in the five seconds or so that it had been in the open, that was a long shot. Gregor decided he would check behind the vending machines later on. After all of the fuss had died down._ Maybe after my last class, I'll try to get back in here. To use the vending machine, _he thought.

"Gregor, are you all right?" asked the hall monitor, who Gregor supposed had been worried that he'd had a heart attack or something, since he was sitting so still.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks!" Gregor said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.

"Well, then... just let me know if you need anything," replied the hall monitor, still somewhat convinced that Gregor would need therapy sometime soon. Maybe he would.

Gregor finished his lunch quickly and left to avoid the stares from everyone. He wasn't sure why everyone was staring at him like that. Maybe because he was closest to where the rat had been. Maybe because he was the only one in the room who hadn't really reacted to it. Gregor wasn't sure, but stares, he had learned, could lead to questions. And he couldn't afford questions. _Yes, later, much later, I will look_. He just couldn't shake the feeling that this had happened somewhere before.

Gregor hurried off to his next class, and the afternoon cycle began again, just like any other day. But this wasn't just any other day. He had remembered where this had happened before. It was back in his apartment, about a year ago. When his mom refused to let Gregor into the Underland, Ripred had sent an army of Overland rats to bring him down. But one rat wasn't really an army. Still, it was a strange coincidence. Especially with that cockroach he'd seen that morning. Gregor knew that cockroaches were rare in Virginia. _This can't be a coincidence, can it? _thought Gregor. Usually, at least for Gregor, coincidences almost never happened when they involved rats and roaches. Usually, it was a sign. Usually, it was a call.

After his last class, Gregor walked up the hallway toward the cafeteria. He had his plan all worked out. He would enter the cafeteria, and walk straight toward the vending machines. That was, after all, what he was in there for. That's what he would tell any teacher that crossed his path. They would believe him. He wasn't the only one that would use them after school. Once he got to the vending machine, he would insert the exact change for what he wanted. He would push the button and then wait, as if expecting change. When the change didn't come, he would look around the vending machine to see the wall behind it. Then hopefully he would see where the rat had come from. That was the plan anyway.

When he reached the cafeteria, he opened the door. It was perfect. The only person in the entire cafeteria was the janitor. He walked to the vending machine, put in the money, pushed the button, and waited. When the change didn't come, he looked around to the back of the machine.

"Gregor?" said a voice from behind him.

"Huh?" Gregor turned around and saw that it was Principal Rosencrantz, the tallest, largest man Gregor had ever known.

"Why are you looking behind the machine?" Rosencrantz asked. Gregor figured that that was a logical question. The problem was, he hadn't thought up any logical answer.

"Uhh..," he sputtered, "No reason. I mean… I, uh… I dropped a quarter underneath the machine. I thought it might have rolled behind it."

"Hmm. Well, go ahead and get your snack and then go home. School's over, you know," the principal said.

"Ok!" said Gregor, grabbing his chips and hurrying out of the cafeteria. But his plan had not been in vain. In the half-second or so that he was able to look behind the machine, he had noticed two things. One was a vent, probably for air conditioning or something like that. The other was a _scroll_ sticking out of the vent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello People of Fanfiction! **

**Reviews indicate that you guys want more story, so here it is!**

**Special thanks to Violettvalentine and Mitratorn for their reviews on the first chapter! **

**-Writertobe1**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

As he left the cafeteria, Gregor was in a daze. _A message for me from the Underland? How did they know I was here? How did they know I would notice?_ Then it hit him, _Well, they do have almost all of the Overland forest animals on their side. How would they not know?_ They probably had been tracking Gregor for this past four months, just in case he would become useful again. He was the warrior, after all. If there was a war, he would suddenly become very useful to whoever's side he joined.

_If there was a war. That must be why they've sent for me. But who could they be fighting now? _That was a good question. He had left them in a state of peace, a peace that they had never known before. It couldn't be the gnawers and the humans again, could it? It was possible. Just before Gregor had left last time, there had been an argument that had almost ended up in full-blown war. But Gregor couldn't believe that peace could dissolve so quickly. Luxa and Ripred would do all they could to stop war from breaking out again.

And yet, in all of this worrying, Gregor was strangely happy to be called for again. In a sense, he had been waiting for this call ever since he moved to Virginia. He finally realized that being hopeful wasn't the same as being crazy. Gregor smiled for the first time in months. _How long has it been since I felt this good? _he wondered. It had been a while, no doubt about that. Probably when he had found his dad on his first trip. _Wow. That feels like it was a million years ago, _he thought. In reality, it had only been about a year and a half, but Gregor felt like he had aged thirty years in that time.

When he got home, he went straight to his room without speaking to anyone, not wanting to give away his new secret with his expression. Tomorrow, he would not be as cautious as he had been today. He would walk to the vending machine during lunch hour, drop some coins on the floor, reach back behind the machine, and grab the letter. He would quickly stuff it into his coat pocket before anyone noticed, get up, grab the change, and go back to his seat, trying not to catch anyone's eye. He would just have to hope that the other students would do what they always did and not help him.

The next morning, he tried as hard as he could to act like it was any other Thursday. He got out the house and on his way to school before anyone could ask him any questions. Once he was at school, he watched the clock for the first five periods. He could have sworn that he had never seen that clock move so slowly before. By the end of every class, he was sure that the principal had somehow learned to slow time. Finally, after what seemed like a two-day science class, it was time for lunch.

Once seated at his table by himself, as usual, he got up to go to the vending machines. It was not that long a walk, which was a fact that Gregor counted on to get back to his seat quickly. He stood in front of the vending machine for a few seconds, as if to decide what he wanted, and dropped the coins in his hand onto the floor. They made a much louder sound than Gregor was counting on, causing everyone near the vending machines to look his way. Gregor attempted to act casual, picking up the coins one by one. He pretended that there were a couple missing, reached behind the machine, grabbed the letter, and stuffed it into his coat pocket. He walked quickly back to his seat, not having to act to look embarrassed.

_You can't look at it until after school_, he thought_. People might notice you. _So he waited. He waited through his last four classes, which were slower than the first five. _You would think that with all this time I'm spending in classrooms today, I would be learning something extra, _he thought. But he didn't. In fact, he didn't learn much of anything. His thoughts were consumed with the letter he held in his pocket and what it might contain.

When the final bell rang, Gregor tried as hard as he could not to run out of his classroom and onto the road to his house. Even though he resisted the temptation to run home, he probably cut his walking time in half.

"How was your day, baby?" his mom asked from the kitchen.

"It was fine," Gregor replied, "I'll be down in a little bit." He raced up to his room, shut and locked the door, ripped the piece of paper from his pocket, and held it, closed, in front of him. Now that he was going to read it, he was afraid of what it might contain. He wondered what kind of tragedy had happened down there that was so bad that they were calling on their warrior to help get them out of it.

_Well, you have to read it. They need you,_ Gregor reassured himself. He opened the letter and read,

**Gregor, **

**That girlfriend of yours is asking for you. I figured that you probably couldn't wait to see her again, so I promised her that I'd get you down here for a while. Don't make me wrong, because, as you know, that would be a very new thing for me. You'll have to go down the vent that we left this letter in, but you're probably used to that by now. Don't worry, it leads to that lovely smelling tunnel by my nest, so I'm sure you'll have the greatest comfort. Not that you deserve it. See you there. I'm expecting you. And by the way, you might want to get that sword back. The war to end all is upon us. **

**Ripred **

The note was scrawled onto a piece of parchment paper that he must have stolen from Regalia. The note was barely legible, but considering that Ripred had no thumbs to hold a pen, any message was somewhat impressive.

At first, Gregor was extremely angry at Ripred. That letter did not answer any of the questions he had about it. But what did he expect? It was from Ripred. He was never upfront about anything. Ripred probably had written it like that just to make Gregor crazy. _Still, he could have told me something!_ thought Gregor.

Then it hit him. _He wanted me to find out when I went down. He wanted me to go crazy wondering until I came._ Then Gregor realized he wouldn't know anything until he was in Ripred's nest. Then, and only then, Ripred would tell him what he wanted to know.

Knowing this, he decided to take the letter sentence by sentence to deduce what might be wrong in the Underland. _That girlfriend of yours is asking for you. _He obviously meant Luxa. Right off the bat, getting under his skin. Calling Luxa his girlfriend. She wasn't his girlfriend, was she? Both he and Luxa had agreed on that, at least, hadn't they. Gregor felt his pulse rise and his cheeks redden at the thought. _She's asking for you._ That could mean any number of things, ranging from just kinda wanting him to being on her deathbed asking for him. Gregor hoped it wasn't that second possibility.

_I figured that you probably couldn't wait to see her again, so I promised her that I'd get you down here for a while. _That might have just been trying to get further under his skin, or it could be a reference to being down there for a long time. _Mom is going to love that,_ Gregor thought. He wasn't sure how, or even if, he was going to get his mom on board with this.

_Don't make me wrong, because, as you know, that would be a very new thing for me. _Gregor didn't think that sounded like a threat or anything. It just sounded like Ripred being sarcastic. That wasn't anything new.

_You'll have to go down the vent that we left this letter in, but you're probably used to that by now._ That was going to be a challenge. Escaping through the vent behind the vending machines in the middle of a crowded cafeteria without anyone noticing was a long shot. He would have to do it at a time when he knew there would not be anyone there. Maybe the middle of the night. But how? After thinking for a while, Gregor figured he would cross that bridge when he came to it. First, he would have to convince his parents that this was a good idea. The second half of the sentence probably was a reference to the vent in the laundry room in the basement of his old apartment complex. That was how he got to the Underland most of the time before.

_Don't worry, it leads to that lovely smelling tunnel by my nest, so I'm sure you'll have the greatest comfort. _Oh, Ripred. He could be so funny sometimes. That 'lovely smelling tunnel' that Ripred was talking about was most likely the tunnel they had gone through their first time down. They had only done that to mask their Overlander scent. It smelled so awful that, after going through it, the rats couldn't smell anything weird about him. Yes, it was that bad. But that tunnel stretched for miles. Who knew how long he would have to walk in the smelly drizzle before he reached Ripred's nest? _Hopefully about two seconds, _Gregor thought, _but probably more like several hours._

_I'm expecting you. _Gregor didn't think that was a threat either, but he knew that if he didn't go, they could probably expect an onslaught of rats on their new house. It might also be a Ripred way of saying, "Please hurry."

_Oh, and by the way, you might want to get that sword back._ This may have just been a sarcastic way to set up the next sentence, but he might be saying that they had re-forged Sandwich's sword, which he had broken his last time down. Ironically, Gregor wasn't sure how he felt about fighting again. Only six months ago, he was afraid he would have separation anxiety not having it at his side at all times. Maybe he was just tired of fighting. Maybe Gregor felt like Hamnet, who had said, "I do no harm. I do no more harm."

_The war to end all is upon us. _This was what had Gregor so irritated with Ripred. _Really, Ripred, _he thought, _that's all you're going to say about it? _Gregor was going crazy wondering who was warring with who, and why they were fighting in the first place.

"Gregor, time for dinner!" called his mom from down the stairs. _Mom. How am I going to explain this to you? How will you ever understand?_ _Goodness knows this won't be easy for you either._

"Ok!" Gregor called back, "Down in a minute!"

Walking down the stairs, Gregor tried to ready himself for what was to come. At the dinner table. Suddenly, that table was the worst thing he could imagine. _Well, you have to get it over with. You can't just go without telling them. You know what that would do to them._ He did. The second time he had gone, he had told them about two minutes before he left. His parents had been a nervous wreck the entire week he was down there.

"Wash up, everybody!" his mom called from the kitchen. _She's probably not going to be as pleasant in a few minutes, _Gregor thought.

Once they had started eating, Gregor decided he would talk to Mom and Dad without Lizzie and Boots. Maybe he just wanted to put it off. But he didn't want Lizzie or Boots to see that fight. He'd rather do it alone.

After Lizzie and Boots had excused themselves, Lizzie to do a crossword puzzle in the other room and Boots to play with her stuffed animals in her room, Gregor decided that the time had come.

"I've got something to say," Gregor began, "Please don't freak out." That probably was not the best way to begin. Now they were ready for conflict. He could see his mom tightening up already. "I got a letter from the Underland again." That was all he could get out before he was interrupted.

"What! No! No, no, no! Not again!" exclaimed his mom, "Where? When?"

"What did it say, Gregor?" his dad asked. Yikes. He was already shaking. That wasn't a good sign for things to come.

"I got it at school today. In a vent. Don't ask me how, I don't know," Gregor answered his mom first. He was trying to figure out how to explain what the letter said without making things worse. "It was from Ripred, and he said that they need me down there again. A war has started, and I have to help!"

Nothing but blank stares came from his parents' side of the table. His mom was already beginning to tear up. For a split second, Gregor felt incredibly guilty for laying all of it on them so quickly. He had never been a tactful person.

"Can we see the letter?" asked his dad.

"Sure, just a second." He hadn't counted on that one. He ran up the stairs to get it.

His dad read the letter to himself, and then out loud. His mom seemed to shrink into the table, her head in her hands, as if this information was just too much to take at once. It probably was.

His mom finally broke the awkward silence that was beginning to fill the room and said, "Gregor, I'm sorry, but I just can't... I just can't let you do this. I know that the people down there mean a lot to you, but I can't lose you again. I just can't!" She started to cry then, and Gregor felt terrible about it.

"I'll go with him." his dad said quickly. This was surprising on a number of levels. First, he was practically admitting that they would let him go. Second, and more surprising, was the fact that his dad was volunteering to go with him. He was still a little shaky, though, so Gregor was a little worried about his mental state at the time. But not that much.

His mom looked at his dad for a long moment, and there appeared to be a test of wills. His mom finally said, "I can't let you two go. I just can't."

"You have to," his dad affirmed. "I think I know what this is about." He looked at Gregor. "This is about Luxa, isn't it, Gregor? You really love her, don't you?"

Gregor felt more embarrassed than ever before in that moment. His cheeks were as red as a rose. But he couldn't say no, even if he didn't feel that way about her. He sputtered, Well...uh...I...uh...yeah, Dad. I do." _What are you saying? _he asked himself. But he couldn't deny the truth. Deep down, he knew that he did love her, more than anyone else in the world.

The look on his mom's face changed drastically after Gregor spoke. A wave of understanding passed over her face. She asked, "Gregor, where is this vent that you were talking about? At your school?" This was way better than Gregor had expected. Mom was skipping the obvious problem that he was leaving them again and turning to little details like the vent.

"Oh, it's in the cafeteria, in the corner, behind the vending machine," Gregor replied, as if it wasn't that big a problem. In reality, though, it was.

"And how do you plan to go through it without anyone noticing?"

"I don't know. I just looked at this for the first time a couple hours ago. I figured the first thing I should do was talk to you about it, though." That was a good explanation. Gregor was pleased with his cleverness. Having an open mind and being a good kid in the same sentence.

"And I was wondering, could I ask Lizzie to come along?" Gregor added. Still a little thrown by how well this was going, he added Lizzie for Ripred's sake. She was the only person in the world that Ripred truly liked. Or at least pretended he liked. Maybe.

"Well, I don't like the idea. It seems like every time you go down there, they need you to fly around on quests," his mom said. Gregor wished that she hadn't said the 'fly around' thing. Ever since Ares had died, he hadn't wanted to think about flying. It still hurt him to think that no one would be there to grab if he fell. That's what those falling dreams were about. He would find himself falling, calling for Ares, and hoping he would be caught before he hit the rocks. But then he would remember. He would remember that Ares would never fly again.

He actually still had Ares' claw on his nightstand. At first glance, that would have seemed kind of creepy, but Gregor had a good reason for it. When Gregor and Ares had fought the Bane for the last time, they had defeated him. Gregor was able to stab the Bane in the back for the last time. While the Bane bit through Ares. At least it had been quick. Even though Gregor knew he was already gone, he had held tightly enough onto his claw that they had cemented together with dried blood. Zap the shiner had actually had to gnaw Ares' claw from his wing so that they could get Gregor back.

Gregor had let Ares go, but he still kept the claw to hold onto when he felt scared. When he felt vulnerable. No, he would never forget Ares. Ares, who had saved his life. Ares, who was his bond, his best friend. Ares, who had lived and died an outcast. _Pretty much the Underland version of me_, Gregor thought. When Gregor hadn't been in the Underland, Ares had lived by himself in a cave miles away from Regalia. No one save Aurora cared whether he lived or died. They might not even have noticed for months if Ares had died.

"I know you don't think it's a good idea. But it'll only be for a little while. It won't be like those other times," Gregor told his mom. Not the whole truth, but not a total lie either.

"And I'll make sure she doesn't go off on anything dangerous," chimed his dad. This was not at all what Gregor had planned. He had been sure that his dad would be vehemently against the idea. But now he was trying to convince Mom to let them go? Gregor couldn't help but wonder why he wanted them to go down again.

"I know you will, to the best of your ability. But Gregor, you have to promise to listen to your father. If you can't do that, you can't go," his mom replied.

"I promise," Gregor relented. _Hopefully I'll be able to keep this one_, Gregor thought. "So she can go?"

"Only if she wants to. At least she's got some sense," she said.

Gregor emitted a silent "Yes!" Now Ripred would be in a good mood. Or at least pretend. He had to, with Lizzie around. It was always a good thing to keep the rat happy. "I'll ask her once she finishes her puzzle. But I want to ask her without you guys. Not that I don't want you…, but I want her decision to be hers. I'll tell her that it's totally fine with me either way."

"All right, Gregor. Try not to pressure her," said his dad.

"I'll try," Gregor promised, trying with difficulty not to dash out of the room. When he reached the top of the stairs and saw her in her room solving the crossword puzzle, he decided he would rather wait until she was finished rather than interrupt her. Or probably because he was nervous. He didn't think he would be, but he was really hoping that Lizzie would say that she would come. She would be quite useful when they met Ripred, who, rather than being smug and sarcastic like he usually was, would have to be pleasant, or at least pretend to be pleasant while Lizzie was around. At least, that was the best theory he had. Gregor devoted the rest of Lizzie's puzzle time to trying to think of a way to put the situation that wouldn't send Lizzie straight into a panic attack. Sure, she wasn't as panicky as she used to be, but this kind of news might just make her go into an attack. Gregor hoped she wouldn't.

After she finished her puzzle, Gregor called her over. "I've got something to tell you, Liz," he began.

"What is it?"

At that moment, Gregor forgot everything he had been planning to say, and the whole thing spilled out of his mouth like a faucet. "I got a message from Ripred at school, and I have to go down to the Underland again. Dad is going, and I want you to go too!"

"W-what?!" was all that Lizzie could get out. Gregor could see that she was turning a sickly whitish color, and she was starting to breathe faster and faster. Immediately, Gregor was sorry he had said everything so fast. Now Lizzie was all worked up and, in all likelihood, would not want to go.

"Ripred wants you, Liz. He said he would be very disappointed if you didn't come." _Way to go, hero, _he thought_. _This was a bad thing to say on a number of levels. First, it was a complete lie. Ripred hadn't even mentioned Lizzie in his letter, and probably didn't want her to come anyway. Second, he had told his parents that he wouldn't pressure her, and this was about the most pressure he could possibly put on her. Hopefully Lizzie wouldn't ask to see the letter.

"Well…" she stammered, "So he asked for me? Really?" She seemed to be calming down for some reason. She even seemed somewhat flattered, even.

"Yeah… totally. He likes you, you know." _Dang, you're digging yourself a hole,_ he thought. If he didn't get in trouble with Lizzie, he knew he would sure get chewed out by Ripred. He decided to go with the flow, though, because she seemed to be warming up to the idea.

"Well... I guess. If Ripred wants me to," Lizzie replied, almost back to normal.

"Yes! Thanks, Liz!" Gregor said. Now all that was left was to figure out how to get into the vent without anyone noticing. At that point, however, he was sure that would be easy compared to facing his family. _Maybe, just maybe, this will be easier than I thought._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again, good people of Fanfiction!**

**I come with another new chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Special thanks to Violettvalentine, Mitratorn, Tytonic, and Willakarra for their reviews on Chapter 2! Keep 'em coming, guys!**

**That's about it for me! If you want to, try to guess what'll happen in the next chapter in your review!**

**Enjoy,**

**-Writertobe1**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Gregor went back downstairs with a spring in his step. He probably would be bouncing of the walls with joy if he was alone, but since he still had to talk with his parents about this idea, he didn't want to seem over-eager. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt this way about going back to the Underland. About probably having to go to war again. _I don't know, _he thought_, but it just feels right. Like this was supposed to happen._

It probably was supposed to happen, according to Bartholomew of Sandwich, the first settler of the Underland. Near the end of his life, Sandwich locked himself in a room entirely enclosed in stone and spent months chiseling his prophecies into the walls. And those walls were _huge_, so there was _tons_ of space.

Anyway, the vast majority of the Underland lived and died by Sandwich's prophecies. Most of the prophecies were extremely vague-sounding when read, yet when the prophecy was said to have past, it was seemingly clear as water. Gregor had even believed in them himself until the last trip down, when Ripred had challenged the very idea of prophecies and shown Gregor that Sandwich was probably just a crazy maniac who locked himself in a room and chiseled strange words. Ripred, thankfully, had not shared that information with the rest of the Underland, because he would have then been disgraced and disregarded for advice, which he often loved to give. You could almost call him helpful sometimes, when he felt like it.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, and returned to the dining room, where his mom and dad still sat, talking with hushed voices. "Well, I talked to Lizzie, and she said she's coming. With us, I mean. To the Underland. She said she wants to go," Gregor said, in a hopeful tone.

His mom and dad looked at each other. They seemed to be conversing silently between the two of them. After Gregor felt like an hour had slipped away, his mom said, "All right, she can go if she wants to. She has good sense about her, and I know that she can handle herself alright on her own if she needs to. But I want to make one thing absolutely clear."

"Ok, anything," replied Gregor, nodding his head. He was somewhat relieved and somewhat disappointed that they had allowed Lizzie to go. On one hand, she would soften up Ripred, whether he wanted to or not. And she was excellent at puzzles, codes, things of that nature, and that could really come in handy if they were in a war situation. But he knew he could count on a tongue-lashing from Ripred for bringing her into the situation, whatever it was. Still, it would be nice to have her around.

His mom looked him square in the eye and said, speaking louder as if to put an emphasis on what she was about to say, "You will not take Boots with you, and you will not send for her for any reason."

"But," Gregor began.

"No buts about it, young man. That is final. Not another word about it," she said, raising her voice louder than before. Boots! Gregor hadn't even thought about her. How could he forget! They would probably end up needing her at some point, if the crawlers were necessary!

However, Gregor knew better than to argue when he was a "young man". So he figured it was better to compromise now then keep arguing about it, and possibly lose the chance he had of going himself. Besides, if the Underlanders really wanted Boots down there, Gregor knew that they would get her down there eventually, by whatever means necessary.

"Well, alright, if you say so," Gregor assented. He knew he was lying about it, but he needed to get down there as soon as possible, and if lying would do that for him, he would do it. _Wow, I sound like Ripred_, Gregor thought, _always doing whatever it takes to have things happen the way I want them to. _He wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing, but he would have to let it go for the moment.

"Right," his dad broke the silence, "well, now that that piece of business is settled, I think we should move on to the logistics of this plan. Any theories about how we make this venture, Gregor?"

Gregor was ready to answer this question before his dad asked it. He had thought about it while he was waiting for Lizzie to finish her puzzle. "Well, we'll obviously have to go down at night, when no one is around or in the school. Dad, you have access to the entire school, right?" As a hall monitor, Gregor figured his dad had some sort of master key so that he could take people wherever they needed to go.

"Yes, I do. I have a card key that I can swipe through any door in the school and it will unlock. But there are two problems about that. One, the security computer takes a record of all doors unlocked using anyone's card, so they'll know that I broke into the school late at night for no apparent reason. Second, the card is able to be tracked with the chip inside it. That means that we'll have to ditch the card somewhere in the school, which would look very strange. They would probably call it a burglary, but since we aren't taking anything from them, there would be no reason to. Then they would probably explain it as a suspicious and unexplained disappearance, which I suppose it is, in a way. Just not in the way they think," he replied.

_Sounds like he's been thinking about this for a while too_, thought Gregor. He was glad to have his dad along with him this time around. While he wasn't a science teacher anymore, his dad was still a fairly brilliant person. "Well," he replied, "there isn't much we can do about that, is there? I mean, there's no way to get around the security system other ways, is there?

"I don't think so, Gregor. It may just have to be a risk we'll have to…"

"I know a way," his mom interrupted. "I'll go with you. We can leave Boots at the Zuckerman's for a few hours. All four of us will go into the school together, and once all three of you are where you need to go, I'll retrace our steps, locking doors as I go. That way, the computer will still pick up your card, but it will look like you came back to get something. And if they ask, that's what I'll tell them. I'll tell them that all three of you got sick suddenly and probably won't be back for a while."

Gregor was dumbfounded by this offer. Not only was Mom all right with them going down again, she was actually willing to help out with their plans! He had never expected this reaction from his mom.

Suddenly, though, Gregor felt suspicious. There was that look. Dad had just _looked _at Mom like they had a secret, the two of them. Maybe Mom knew why Dad was so ready to go down again, after all that had happened. He had a secret, and he had told Mom about it. He had somehow managed to get her on his side, which wasn't easy, considering how much his mom hated the Underland. He decided he would ask his dad about it later.

"That sounds like a brilliant idea," his dad chimed in.

"Can we go tonight?" asked Gregor.

"I think that we should wait until tomorrow night, just so that we can be sure that this works properly. We only have one try at this, and we certainly don't want to waste it," his dad replied.

Gregor's heart sank. _These next twenty-four hours are officially going to be the longest of my life_, Gregor said to himself.

And they certainly were. If the last few days at school had felt like forever, Gregor thought that this day should be like forever times forever. Forever squared. They worked on squaring in math class for what seemed like days, and that was just the first period. _This is going to be a long, hard day_, thought Gregor.

It was awful until lunch, then it got much, much worse. He sat by the vending machines, like he usually did, and it just about made him crazy just looking at the thing. Thinking about how he could just slip behind it and disappear. _Well, I couldn't really do that,_ he thought. _That would ruin everything_. So he just sat, staring at his salami sandwich. He knew he should eat, get some strength for the long road ahead, but he just couldn't get it down. He was too busy thinking about other things.

His last few periods went by a decade at a time, and when the final bell rang, Gregor practically jumped out of his seat and ran out the classroom door.

On Gregor's way out, he heard his teacher call after him, "My goodness, Gregor. Got a hot date?" as he flew out the door and into the hall. Without thinking, he turned back and said, "Yeah!" as he went out of the classroom. His classmates all laughed at him as he quickly exited the situation. He flew through the halls to his locker, grabbed his things, and went toward the door at a brisk walk, to avoid drawing attention to himself. _Stay calm_, he told himself, _act casual. You can freak out when you're alone._

He made it out of the school in record time, before most of the other students had even reached their lockers. He watched them cluster into their little groups, their cliques. Watching them, he said to himself, _You don't need them. You've got better people waiting for you._

Gregor wasn't an antisocial person by nature, but over the last few months, he had acted like it. He was terrified to open up to anyone about anything, and that was a bad formula for making friends. He even went so far as to avoid conversation with everyone just so they wouldn't ask him any questions. There was a part of him that missed talking to friends every day, but he had convinced himself soon after he came back aboveground that it wasn't worth the risks involved.

He walked out of the schoolyard and turned at the second road down, just like any other day. But this wasn't any other day. As soon as he reached his street, he broke into a run, almost sprinting toward his house. He couldn't take it anymore. The stress of having such an exciting evening ahead combined with sitting at desks all day long had taken a toll on him. He felt like he had to run, to release all of the pent-up energy that his body had accumulated all day.

And run he did. He ran all the way to his doorstep, having to catch his breath for a minute before ringing the doorbell. But he felt good. The adrenaline coursing through his veins made him feel amazing, like he could lift a car or jump a hundred feet in the air. He said to himself, _I am so ready to go back. _

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><p>At dinner, Gregor could hardly contain himself, he was so excited. However, he had to hold it together for just a little while longer. For Boots' sake. His mom had expressly told him not to tell Boots about any of what was happening tonight, and Gregor wasn't about to go against his mom now.<p>

Sadly, his mom had also told Gregor that Boots was not to go down under any circumstances. That was probably going to be a problem. The crawlers in the Underland practically worshiped Boots, so they probably wouldn't be any help unless Boots came. Gregor had been wracking his brain for ideas to get Boots to the Underland, but none of them sounded good enough to overrule his mom. At least, not yet. He figured that when the situation called for her, someone would be able to think of a plan better than any he had already.

Gregor swallowed the baked potatoes his mom had made for dinner without even tasting them on the way down. It was as if all of his brain cells were concentrated on what was to come, too busy to take in the conversation around the dinner table, or the potatoes in his mouth, or the passing of time as he sat in silence.

Eventually, everyone finished their dinner, and they all helped clear the table of the dishes. While doing this, Gregor took a long look at Lizzie, who seemed to be the picture of calmness. Gregor couldn't believe how brave Lizzie had become since they had gone to the Underland only a few months before.

Before she went, Lizzie had panic attacks regularly, unable to handle stressful situations without a paper bag in her pocket. But since she had come back aboveground, it was like she had transformed into a whole new person. Now she was staring down the most stressful situation Gregor could think of unblinkingly.

Once Boots had gone off to watch TV, Gregor asked his dad, "So what time are we going?"

"Probably around ten. That's early enough that Mom can tell the Zuckermans that she and I are going out to dinner and a movie and it won't be too late. She'll take her over there around six or so. And it's late enough so that, by all probability, there won't be anyone left at the school. So we don't run into anybody," his dad replied.

Gregor could tell that his dad had thought this through beforehand very carefully. He was still curious what his dad's secret was, why he, of all people, would want to go back to the very place that ruined his life. Again, though, he figured he would find this out eventually.

He looked up at the clock above the cabinetry on the kitchen wall. It read 5:32. _Four hours and twenty-eight minutes_, Gregor thought,_ four hours and twenty-eight minutes until all my best and worst dreams come true. And I am so ready._

He went into the family room to watch TV with Boots for the last few minutes they would be together for what could be a long while. As Boots laughed at the cartoon on the screen, Gregor thought about how much he would miss that laugh over the next few weeks or months. He pushed the thought aside, however, and tried to enjoy the final moments he would have with his littlest sister.

Eventually, though, Gregor's mom came into the room to take Boots to the Zuckermans' for the night. Gregor's eyes got misty when Boots called, "Bye Gregor! See you later!" from the front door. Gregor, Lizzie, and his dad stood on the doorstep as the van pulled out of the driveway and drove down the road towards their neighbor's house.

After his mom got back from dropping Boots off, she went on a spree of direction-giving for Gregor, some of which Gregor had to remind his mom wouldn't work. Like when she suggested that he should pack a backpack full of clothes to take along, and Gregor reminded her that all his clothes would be burned once he arrived at Regalia, to rid them of their Overlander scent. As if the tunnel they would have to walk through wouldn't do that already.

About half an hour before they were about to leave for the school, Gregor went up to his room for one last goodbye to his life in the Overland, at least for now. He sat down on his bed, and looked around, trying to form a picture that he could remember when he was under the earth. As he was doing this, his eyes fell on the claw on his nightstand. Ares' claw. Ares, his bond, who had saved his life on many occasions, who had let his former bond, Henry, die so that Gregor could live, who had gone through hell and back for Gregor, and had been killed for his trouble.

Gregor picked up the claw from his nightstand, and stuffed into his front jacket pocket. _Together to the end, old friend. I will never forget you, Ares,_ Gregor avowed. And he wouldn't.

Gregor left his room for the final time, went down the stairs, meeting his dad, mom, and sister in the kitchen. He looked again at the clock over the cabinetry. It read 9:52.

"Guess we'd better get on with this. You two ready?" his dad asked. They nodded assent, and they went out the front door to the car. His mom sighed as they piled into the van that they had owned since they lived in the city. The same van that had brought them from the city to Virginia. Away from the Underland. Or so they thought. Now it was all too apparent that they couldn't get away from what they were destined to be, or do.

They reached the school at 9:58, almost perfect timing. Gregor's dad told them to wait in the car while he went to check if anyone was around inside the school. While they were waiting, Gregor heard his mom in the front seat, sniffling. For a second, Gregor felt remorseful for dragging both Lizzie and his dad into this. Now Mom would be all alone with only Boots to comfort her for however long this mission would take. And he still hadn't told anyone his long-term plan. Assuming he wasn't badly injured in the conflict, Gregor was clinging to a hope that he could stay down in the Underland for the remainder of his life. With Luxa. He couldn't tell anyone about that, though. Not yet.

After a few long minutes, Gregor's dad returned. He stuck his head into the car, and announced, "Nobody's in there. But we have to hurry. We can't afford to delay now. We have to get in and out of there in just a few minutes altogether." He had a hard look of determination on his face. Gregor could tell how scared his dad was, and he didn't blame him for it.

"Sounds good, Dad. Let's get this show on the road," Gregor replied, getting out of the car and opening his mom's door for her. Her eyes were reddened, and Gregor turned away before he could get emotional along with her. _You have to be strong, _Gregor told himself_, for everyone's sakes. If you look afraid or grieved, everybody will fall apart._ Thankfully, Gregor had lots of practice at hiding his emotions from other people, especially his family.

When they reached the front door of the school, Gregor's dad slid the key card out of his pocket, swiped it through the door's lock, and there was a clicking sound as the door unlocked. Gregor pulled the handle on the door, swinging it open to reveal the dark hallway behind it. Thankfully, Gregor had the foresight to bring a bunch of flashlights for the Underland, since there was very little natural light, and the four of them all clicked their flashlights on, casting four beams of white light down the hallway.

The four of them walked slowly down the dark hallways, weaving in and out of corridors until they reached the cafeteria door. Gregor's dad unlocked the door in the same way that he had opened the front door, and the door swung open to reveal a spooky-looking version of the cafeteria that Gregor had sat in every day for the last few months. Gregor could see fear in the eyes of his family, and he was fairly sure that if he could look in a mirror, he would see the same fear in his own eyes.

They walked over to the vending machines, Gregor and his dad moving the one in front of the vent slightly, so that they could fit into the space and climb into the vent. Gregor then realized something he hadn't thought of before. _There's metal grating over the opening of the vent! Why didn't I think of that?, _he exclaimed to himself.

He sighed deeply, and was about to say something about it, but before he could, his dad interjected, "Don't worry, Gregor." He pulled a mini-screwdriver out of his pocket, holding it out for the others to see. "Thought this might come in handy," he chortled, evidently amused that Gregor hadn't thought that far ahead. Gregor was too relieved to be irritated at his dad for making him seem foolish.

As his dad went to work unscrewing the vent from the wall, Gregor looked to his mom, whose eyes were still red from crying in the car. They walked towards each other, and Gregor wrapped his arms around his mom in their final embrace before they would be separated for an undetermined amount of time. His mom choked out, "Gregor, I know that whatever situation you're going into will be incredibly dangerous. I know that I can't expect you to be all right all the time. But just remember this, Gregor." Gregor leaned in to his mom as she whispered, "I love you. Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you. Always."

As Gregor finally pulled away, they looked at each other with tearful smiles on their faces. "Goodbye, Mom," Gregor finally uttered. He was about to say "I'll be back soon" but decided to just stay quiet instead.

Eventually he turned away, and watched his mom gave Lizzie a long hug goodbye. She whispered something Gregor couldn't hear in Lizzie's ear, and Lizzie nodded at her. Then it was dad's turn. Gregor's mom told his dad, "Be safe, please," and his dad replied, "We'll try. Don't worry. We'll be back soon."

After having said their goodbyes, they all turned to the vent and the vast darkness behind it. Gregor swallowed hard, and he felt fear and something like the rager sensation well up inside him. _It's time_, Gregor thought, _it's finally time._

"Well, I suppose I will lead the way," his dad croaked, obviously afraid. He looked at Gregor and Lizzie, and said, "I'll see you in the Underland." He then turned to Gregor's mom and said, "I'll see you soon." He then climbed through the vent and disappeared into the abyss.

"I'll go next," Lizzie offered. Gregor nodded, and Lizzie went toward the vent. She turned to her mom and sniffled, "See you later, Mom." She crawled through and vanished, just as Gregor's dad had.

Gregor gulped, turned to his mom, and muttered, "Well, I guess it's my turn, Mom."

"Goodbye, baby. I'll see you soon," his mom said, with tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"Goodbye, Mom. I love you so much," Gregor finished. He walked toward the vent and poked his head through to take a look at the abyss below. He took one last look at his mom, one last glimpse of the Overland, and crawled through, freefalling into the darkness below.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again, people of Fanfiction!**

**Coming at you again with a new chapter, this time a day early! **

**Special thanks to Violettvalentine, Mitratorn, Attack on Underland, SilverProphet, Ares the Underlander, and an unnamed Guest for their reviews on Chapter 3! You guys are great, loving the feedback!**

**ArestheUnderlander- so close! Unfortunately for Gregor, things won't be that easy. :)**

** I guess I'll continue the "guess what happens next chapter" thing I've got going. If you get it right (or at least close), I'll mention you in the forward of next chapter.**

**Enjoy,**

**-Writertobe1**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

As Gregor fell through the darkness, he remembered how deep the Underland truly was. When he had fallen the first time, he had tried to count how long it took until he hit the bottom, but once he had gotten to twenty, he decided he was better off not knowing.

He felt like he was in one of his nightmares, falling and falling with no one to catch him at the bottom, except this time, it was real. He desperately hoped that Ripred knew that he would survive this. Because if he wasn't going to, there was going to be some serious mess at the bottom, wherever the bottom was.

After falling for what seemed like hours, he clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, checking if his echolocation skills had gone away with the months he'd been out of the Underland. They hadn't.

He spotted the ground far below him, which seemed to be accelerating toward him at a rapid pace. Gregor's eyes bugged, and his breathing and heartbeat quickened instantaneously. However, just when the ground was coming close enough that he was sure that he wouldn't survive, his fall seemed to decelerate, slowing and slowing the closer he got to the ground. _They've got some crazy air currents down here_, he thought to himself. A few seconds later, he found himself standing on solid ground again, as if he had been placed on the ground by some enormous invisible hand.

Then he saw Lizzie and his dad standing just a few yards away.

"Gregor?" his dad whispered. Gregor tried hard not to laugh at the face his dad was making, but he couldn't help himself and chuckled.

"Yeah, it's me. Stay there. I'll walk over to you," he told him. He started to tiptoe towards his dad, thinking to sneak behind him and scare him, but he decided against the idea. _Sounds like something that Ripred would do_, he thought to himself, _and I'm not Ripred._ He lightly tapped his dad on the shoulder with the flashlight he had in his hand. His dad jumped sky-high, and Gregor chuckled again.

Gregor decided to look around the place they had fallen and try to ascertain what direction they should proceed. It wasn't long before he realized that they were standing in the very place where Henry had tried to kill Ripred his first time under_. I knew it. I knew it!_ he thought to himself, realizing that they were going to have to walk the length of the tunnel in order to reach Ripred's nest, assuring that they would be soaked in whatever slime leaked off the ceiling and walls of the tunnel. _Great. Just great. _

Gregor walked back over to Lizzie and his dad and explained the situation. "Lizzie, I don't think you've ever experienced anything like what you are about to right now. We're going to walk through a tunnel that is so disgusting and foul, we will quite literally smell like rats at the end of it," Gregor told her. He figured that he shouldn't sugarcoat it, being that it was one of the most foul places in the Underland, and that was saying something.

"We have to go through the tunnel to get there? No other options?" his dad asked. Apparently Dad knew about this particular tunnel from past experience. Gregor figured that the rats had dragged him through it while he was in captivity.

"Not that I know of, Dad. I've only been here two or three times before, and this is the route we took," Gregor confessed, "I'm sorry about this."

"No, don't be sorry, Gregor," Lizzie reassured, "I don't mind getting dirty or anything."

_Little does she know._ Gregor knew by the end of this trip, Lizzie would definitely mind getting dirty like this again. He knew he did, at least. His dad seemed resigned to the whole thing, like he just wanted to get it over with.

So without another word, they proceeded into the tunnel. And it was even worse than Gregor remembered. At least the first time they had gone through, he had on a hard hat, which had kept some of the stuff out of his eyes. Now it was all over. He couldn't go more than ten or twenty seconds without having to wipe his sleeve across his face just so he could see more than a few feet in front of his face.

Another problem that he hadn't counted on was the slippery floor of the tunnel. He hadn't remembered it being slippery before, but he supposed all that slime and gunk dripping off the top of the tunnel had to go somewhere. Anyway, it was like walking on a layer of oil. Every hundred feet or so, one of the three of them would stumble and the other two would have to help lift the one up again, sometimes falling themselves in the process. It would have been funny, if it weren't happening to them here and at this moment.

They stumbled on and on for hours, every inch of ground covered a victory. A few hours into the trip, Lizzie, who before had taken on stressful situations stoically, had begun to groan and eventually was on the edge of breaking down completely. Gregor and his dad mutually decided to call a halt for a few minutes. Gregor sat down next to Lizzie, who was starting to cry with the foulness of it all.

"Are you gonna be alright, Liz?" Gregor whispered in her ear. He could tell how upset she was at the moment, and didn't want to pressure her or anything. If Lizzie got in any worse a state, they were probably going to have to find shelter and rest for a few hours, and Gregor didn't want to do that.

"I don't know, Gregor," Lizzie moaned, "I had no idea that the Underland could be this terrible!" She looked around, up and down the tunnel. "I never even imagined this could be possible!" she groaned.

"I know, Liz," Gregor tried to console her. Watching her sitting there, he was torn between his desire to get to Ripred's nest as quickly as possible and his desire to help his sister. _You can't help her in this tunnel_, he thought, _you have to get her out of here._ He then decided on a very Ripred-like way out of this situation. He said, "Liz, if you can go now, we are _so_ close to the end of this tunnel. Probably only another half hour or something like that. Can you do that?" he asked with an imploring look on his face.

"Well, I guess so. Let's get out of this awful place, Gregor," Lizzie said with a sob after a long pause.

"Good, Lizzie. Let's head out," he finished, motioning to his dad that they were moving on. _Ripred would be proud._ Gregor hoped that it would be that quick a trip, but in reality, he had no idea how far they would have to go to reach the end of this tunnel. It wasn't like there were landmarks or anything.

They struggled on through the tunnel. After the thirty minutes had passed, then forty, Lizzie sputtered, "Aren't we getting near the end, Gregor?"

"Almost there, Liz," Gregor maintained. And, thankfully for Gregor, they were. A few minutes later they stumbled out into a large cavern that Gregor recognized as the cavern which Ripred made his home. All three collapsed onto the ground, solid ground at last. It was Gregor who stood first. He stumbled ahead just a few feet before noticing a large being just a few yards ahead.

"Took you long enough, warrior. I wouldn't be surprised if they had just up and started the war without you."

Gregor recognized the snide tone of voice. "Ripred," he sighed.

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><p>Gregor couldn't believe it. This was the moment that he had been longing for and dreading at the same time for the last few months. Here at last, standing next to Ripred again, Gregor let himself savor the victory he felt in his heart for a few moments. The both of them did nothing but stare at each other for a few seconds, the rat breaking Gregor's gaze to assess the situation behind Gregor. Gregor turned to look at Lizzie and his dad, crumpled and exhausted on the floor of the cavern. They didn't appear to be anywhere near to getting up yet.<p>

Ripred motioned for Gregor to follow him away from the others. "I need to have a word with you, warrior," Ripred stated in an icy tone that suggested that he wanted to have more than just a word. But Gregor followed, needing Ripred to tell him what was going on. He couldn't take the suspense any longer. The pressure that had been building inside him threatened to explode with any more waiting.

Once they were out of hearing distance, which, by the way, was much farther than hearing distance in the Overland, since everything was so quiet down here, Ripred turned back to Gregor. Suddenly, Gregor was hit in the face by something that felt like a whip. He cried out, falling to the ground in a heap.

"You've grown slow, warrior. What has it been... four months or so? And already you've gotten rusty. It's as if you've aged, Gregor. This will have to be fixed," Ripred chided in a teacher-like tone. Gregor couldn't make out Ripred's face, even with echolocation, but he figured that if he could, he would not see a very happy expression. Not that there was anything new about that.

"What was that for, Ripred?" Gregor protested.

"That was for the company that I saw with you back at the entrance. What on earth could have possessed you to bring two people who, by their own way, have proven mentally unstable? I'm surprised at you, warrior!" Ripred retorted, still adopting the disappointed tone. "Now, granted, you were never the sharpest knife in the drawer, but this is a new low!" he finished with a snarl.

Now angered by the rat's chiding, Gregor burst out, "It wasn't my fault! What was I supposed to do, not tell anyone and just vanish one night, never coming back again?" Still furious, he added, "I did what I had to do to come! This was the best I could do, so you'd better be able to work with it, since you're so smart!"

Gregor braced himself after the outburst, expecting another snap of Ripred's tail to his face, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, he looked up, and thought he could distinguish a grin on Ripred's face. The rat chuckled for a moment, quickly regaining his composure. "So excitable. That is one of the things I find amusing about you, boy." He chuckled again.

Gregor was somewhat angered by the fact that the rat found his emotional pain funny, but he decided to just let it go for the moment. He had bigger, more important things to deal with for the time being, and he always knew in the back of his mind that Ripred was just trying to get into his head. And boy, could he ever. "So where are we going, Ripred?" he asked after a long silence.

"To Regalia, obviously, boy," Ripred rolled his eyes. "I told you that your girlfriend was asking for you to come, and come you shall."

Gregor's cheeks blushed. He hoped that Ripred couldn't tell. "How?" he inquired.

"Unfortunately for you and your friends back there, we are going to have to walk the distance between here and there."

Gregor's heart sank like a stone. "How far is it from here?" he asked, hoping that it wasn't as far as he was thinking it was.

"When I am alone, I can traverse the distance in just six to eight hours time. If it were just you and me," Ripred cast a disapproving glance at Gregor, "We might be able to get there in just under a day's time, given good conditions along the way. However," he cast another glance Gregor's way, "with the condition that those two are in at this moment, not only will it be a couple of hours until we can even leave, but it may take almost twice as long, nearly two days, if you take into account all of the rest breaks we'll have to take." Even explaining the situation put Ripred in a bad mood, which, while not unusual, didn't help things for Gregor.

"So why am I here, Ripred?" Gregor demanded. "Your letter was pretty vague about the stuff that's going on."

"That was intentional, of course, as it's not for me to say," Ripred began, "The only thing that I can tell you for now is that Regalia hangs on the edge of a war that could blot out the Underland as we know it."

A fresh wave of anger passed over Gregor. "That doesn't tell me anything! Who are they fighting with, Ripred?" Gregor burst out.

"Who else, warrior? When they have made peace with their greatest enemy, who else would humans fight against?" Ripred answered with his own question. He glanced at Gregor.

A sudden wave of realization hit Gregor like Ripred's tail. "No. No, it couldn't be," he sputtered, looking up at Ripred once more.

Ripred met Gregor's gaze, and declared, "I'm afraid so, boy. It appears that there is a great civil war coming for Regalia."

Gregor couldn't believe what he was hearing. The last time he had left, just four months before, Regalia finally seemed to be coming to a time of lasting peace with the world around them. And they had, he supposed. Now it wasn't the world around them, but themselves that were the problem. He shook his head in disbelief as the rat looked on, assessing Gregor's state.

Gregor finally pulled himself together, and stammered, "Why, Ripred? Why would they do this to each other?"

"I can't say, boy. Sometimes I don't think they know themselves," Ripred answered.

Gregor looked up into Ripred's eyes and studied them. But either Ripred really didn't know or he wasn't planning to tell him any more of what was going on. He could tell that he wasn't going to get any more answers until he was standing in Regalia, two long days from now. The thought made Gregor's stomach hurt.

"So what should I do now?" he broke the silence.

"Well, warrior, as I said before, due to _that_ issue," he motioned at the other two, who were still quite motionless with exhaustion, "I would say the thing to do at the moment would be to rest."

Gregor was somewhat surprised by this suggestion. Normally, Ripred would be yelling at them to move on, biting at their heels to keep them going. That comforted him a little, since that probably meant that the danger to Regalia was not immediate. That or Ripred could tell that Lizzie and his dad were going to take a while to recover, and had decided that letting them rest benefited their cause more than getting them going immediately. Gregor hoped that both of these were true. "How long, do you think?" he inquired.

"Full of questions tonight, are we? I had no idea that my advice meant so much to you," Ripred said sarcastically, "But really, Gregor, I would say two hours or so should be good enough for the time being. And you should try to rest, too. It's a hard road ahead, you know. Well, for you anyway."

Gregor thought he saw a hint of a grin on the rat's face after that last remark, but he was so tired, he didn't really care too much about it. He walked back over toward where his dad and Lizzie were still lying where they were several minutes ago, and laid down on the cold rock. It was uncomfortable, but Gregor, who had not slept much for the past few days, passed out almost immediately.

When he came to, apparently a couple hours later, Ripred commanded, "We've got to get on the move, boy. Help me get these other two up and moving. It's a long road ahead, warrior. A long road ahead."

Gregor, feeling refreshed and invigorated, went over to Lizzie, shook her gently, waking her. "Come on Liz, we need to get going, okay?" Lizzie nodded her head sleepily, but it was good enough. She got up almost immediately. It was clear she felt the same way Gregor did. Ripred woke Gregor's dad, who appeared to also be in the state the two of them were.

"Right," Ripred began, "well, this is going to be a fun trip!"

Gregor never really appreciated sarcasm, but for some odd reason, he felt himself chuckling about Ripred's comment. He handed his dad and Lizzie the two flashlights they had been using earlier. When they switched them on, Ripred let out a groan. "Flashlights? These two can't echolocate?" Ripred hissed incredulously in Gregor's ear.

"Why would they?" Gregor retorted.

Ripred eyes burned holes in Gregor. Infuriated, the rat gave a signal to follow, and the four of them walked slowly toward Regalia. As they trudged along, Gregor was surprised that there wasn't steam coming out of the rat's ears. Thankfully for Gregor, Ripred had a lot of time to cool down. Gregor estimated that it took about four to six hours before they halted for a couple hours of rest.

Before everyone slept, Gregor asked Ripred whether they should have a guard to look out for enemies while the others slept, to which the rat replied, "What do we need a guard for, boy? Look around you. Not only are we in the middle of nowhere, there is no one who would want to attack us in our sleep lurking around here. Remember who you're fighting, warrior." And with that, Ripred went a few yards away, circled twice, and passed out on the cold stones.

_Remember who you're fighting, warrior._ Gregor knew what the rat meant, that they weren't against the rats anymore, or at least that's what he figured Ripred meant by his statement, but something about what he said rubbed Gregor the wrong way. _How can I remember who I'm fighting when you won't tell me anything about who it is? _Fatigue eventually outweighed his irritation, though, and he laid down on the floor of the cavern and tried to sleep.

The pattern continued for the next day or so, on the march for four to six hours, then resting for one or two. Midway into the fifth cycle of walking, Gregor caught up to Ripred, who was blazing the trail for the others to follow, and whispered, "How close are we?"

"Well," the rat began, "the good news is that we've made faster progress than I had originally thought we would. I would say we are only six hours away if we continued to walk at our present pace, eight hours given the last rest break we'll have to take for their sake."

They both glanced back at the other two. Lizzie looked alright to Gregor, much better than he would have expected her to look by this point. It made sense, he guessed. She was pretty active with sports lately, what with track and volleyball practices practically every day, so it wasn't too surprising that she was fit enough to endure this journey.

However, Ripred seemed to read his mind, saying, "For your father's sake, I'm glad that we're as close as we are." It was true. Gregor's dad looked terrible. In fact, it was getting to the point where Gregor hurt just looking at him. "He's getting weak fast. Unfortunate. We could use his brain in this conflict, but I don't think he's going to be in any state to help us anytime soon," Ripred finished, a disappointed look in his eyes.

At the final stopping point, Ripred called a three hour rest, announcing that it would be the final rest before they reached Regalia. At this news, Lizzie smiled widely, relief on her face, while Gregor's dad managed only a weak grin. They both passed out only a few minutes after lying down on the ground. Gregor could tell this by their rhythmic breathing.

There was no way that Gregor was going to be sleeping on this rest, though. He could tell from the moment he laid down that his mind was too active for him to sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about what he would do when he reached Regalia, what he would say first, and who he would say it to. He couldn't quite think of just the right phrase to say to her. _Luxa, it's been a while. Luxa, fancy seeing you here. Luxa, I've missed you so much. _ He hoped that in the moment, he would think of the perfect words to say.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ripred poked his head up, and declared, "Alright, time to move, pups. And we won't be stopping again until we are in the halls of Regalia."

And the four of them went on their way yet again. This time, though, it seemed a sense of urgency was pushing them onward, ever faster toward their goal. A couple of hours in, Ripred slowed for a moment so Gregor could catch up to him. The rat whispered, "We're closer than I thought. Do you see that, boy?" He pointed into the distance, and Gregor saw some faraway lights.

"Is that Regalia?" Gregor asked incredulously.

"Yes it is, warrior. Just an hour more, and we'll be there," Ripred answered, relief in his voice. Gregor could tell that the rat had been afraid that Gregor's dad wouldn't last much longer.

Gregor smiled so widely, he was sure that it would reach his ears. _Finally_, he thought to himself, _at last, you're almost there._ He went told Lizzie and his dad the exciting news, which visibly boosted both their spirits. The hour went quicker than Gregor thought it might, and before they knew it they were walking up to the gates of Regalia.

Once they reached the gates, Ripred pounded on them to get the Regalians to unlatch the door. "Who is it who calls at this late hour?" a voice that Gregor recognized yelled from behind the gate.

"Someone who may prove somewhat useful in this conflict," Ripred yelled in reply, and the gates swung open. And there she was. Gregor was almost brought to tears by the sight.

"Gregor?" Luxa stammered, tears filling her eyes.

Gregor forgot everything that he had thought to say. "Yeah, it's me," he replied simply, and they rushed forward and embraced for the first time in far too long.

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><p><strong>And that's a wrap on Chapter 4! <strong>

**I usually don't write an endnote for my chapters, but making an exception for this one, just to let you know that the next chapter might not be out for a while (not a month or anything, but maybe not until the 12th or 13th). School has been crazy, so I haven't had a lot of time to write.**

**That is all! ****Make sure to leave a review if you liked it (or even if you didn't). :)**

**-Writertobe1**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again, good people of Fanfiction!**

**It has been a little longer than usual, but here it is, Chapter 5, where you finally find out what's going on!**

**Special thanks to Violettvalentine and ArestheUnderlander for their reviews on Chapter 4! (Hint: if you guys want me to write more quickly, review! There is nothing more motivating than reviews, and I welcome constructive criticism!) **

**ArestheUnderlander- yes!**

**Enjoy,**

**Writertobe1**

**Disclaimer: I realize I haven't said this before, but, in case you were wondering, I am NOT Suzanne Collins, nor do I claim to be. Thus, I do not own anything, except my own plot and any original characters I decide to add to the mix later. ;)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Gregor had tried not to think about it, but as he kissed Luxa for the first time in forever, he realized he had forgotten how amazing it felt to be with Luxa. His heartbeat quickened, and something not so unlike the rager sensation hummed in his veins.

He would have been content to stay like this for forever, but unfortunately, Ripred butted in, "Alright you two. My eyes can't take much more of this, or they'll burst out of my head and run away. Disgusting." And with that gruesome image affixed in the minds of everyone in the room, Ripred left to forage the royal kitchen for something to eat.

At the far end of the room, a door swung open to reveal a man in a wheelchair. Vikus. "Well," he began, then realized who had arrived. "Well," he said again, "Gregor, welcome back to Regalia. But if I may ask, how did you get here?"

"It was Ripred's idea," Gregor replied, surprised that Ripred hadn't told Vikus that he was coming. "He found me, and told me that you guys needed my help. He wasn't very specific, but he did tell me that you're getting into a civil war, and that you guys needed me."

"And so we do, Gregor. The people of Regalia are losing hope quickly. They need a leader that they can rally around in battle. And Ripred appears to have provided just that. Gregor, your mere presence in our ranks will help our cause tremendously in this conflict," Vikus said, looking as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Gregor was glad that he could help Vikus. Vikus had always been friendlier than most to him, and he liked to return the favor.

Evidently, Gregor was staring at the wheelchair that Vikus was sitting in, and Vikus explained, "Yes, as you see, I am now confined to a wheelchair. You'll remember I suffered a stroke just before you left last time?" Gregor nodded, and Vikus continued, "While the stroke did not kill me, it did cost me the use of my legs for the remainder of my life. I am making the best of it, however, and I am getting quite skilled at wheeling myself around Regalia."

Gregor felt sorry for Vikus. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to not be able to walk again. Gregor thought that he would go crazy if he couldn't move around on his own.

He decided to end the awkward conversation and said, "So this war that's going on. What's that all about?" He got a couple odd stares from others in the room for these comments and remembered how formally everybody talked in the Underland_. If I stay down here_, Gregor wondered, _will I start talking like that?_

"Let's proceed to the war room for that conversation, Gregor," Vikus replied, turning his wheelchair around and going out the door he came in. Before following him, Gregor turned to Luxa and asked, "Could you help my dad and my sister? They're really exhausted."

"Of course. I'll meet up with the two of you later," she replied, giving him a hug for good measure. She then turned to the others and said, "Let's get you two situated for your stay here in Regalia," as Gregor left the room.

Gregor followed Vikus through the maze of hallways and corridors that made up Regalia. Even though he had spent a couple months here altogether, it was easy to get lost if you didn't know where you were going.

They had to go through the hospital ward to get from the gates to the war room, and as Gregor looked around, he couldn't help but think of all the bad memories he had associated with this place. _Right over there_, he thought, _my mom and Ares were wasting away before my eyes_. He tried not to think about it, but it was difficult. He clutched Ares' claw in his pocket as he walked on through the long hallway of the hospital wing.

Thankfully, Vikus was quick with his wheelchair, so they didn't have to spend too much time walking to the war room. Once they reached it, Gregor opened the door, and Vikus wheeled himself in, Gregor following. The war room was completely empty except for the two of them, which surprised Gregor, since it was such a large room.

Vikus wheeled over to a desk and pulled out a map of Regalia and its surrounding areas. Vikus said, "Well, Gregor, I'm not sure how much Ripred told to you, but I am just going to give you a general overview of what is happening as of late." He took a breath, and continued, "When you left us a few months ago, we had made peace with the gnawers for the first time in decades, and with every new idea, there is always opposition. There were many people who did not agree with Luxa's decision of peace, so many, in fact, that they rebelled not long after you departed.

"We defeated the rebels quickly, but we found then that most of our population was against peace with the gnawers. Only about a third of the people who lived here a few months ago remain. The rest have gone to the Fount, where they have organized themselves into a military force against us. So many of them have joined, in fact, that their army outnumbers us. Terribly, actually. There are nearly twice as many of them as there are of us."

Gregor was disheartened by this information. He had thought that this was just a small rebellion, easily defeated, easily smoothed over. Now it was clear that this was no small ordeal. "Who is leading them?" he asked.

"The leaders of the Fount mostly. Since her parents were killed in the conflict with the rats, Stellovet has now assumed the role. I have no doubt that if we are defeated, Luxa will be dethroned in lieu of Stellovet, and I think we both know how terrible that would be." And Gregor did know. Stellovet, in the time that Gregor had known her, had been one of the most obnoxious people he had ever met. He had to agree with Vikus that she would spare no end to be on the throne in Regalia.

"Isn't Howard supposed to be the one in charge now, though? He's older than Stellovet," Gregor wondered.

"Howard does not want to rule, Gregor. He's always wanted to be a great healer, so it was no difficult task for Stellovet to get him to forfeit his right to rule."

Gregor didn't like how this conversation was going so far. He asked Vikus another question, hoping for some more encouraging news this time, "What about the gnawers? Whose side are they on?"

"Under Ripred, they have sided with us in this conflict. There are many gnawers who have abandoned Ripred, but it isn't like they can join the opposing force, because that would mean that they would be fighting together about fighting against each other. It wouldn't make sense."

"How about the other species?" Gregor inquired, hoping that they had more allies than just Ripred's gnawers and their own men.

"The spinners are neutral, as always, and you can count on them to help us and them at some point along the way. The crawlers are also neutral at this point. So are the diggers. The fliers vary, some on our side, and some on theirs. They always go where their bonds go, so it's right about the same numbers as humans. The rest of the species are mostly staying out of the fight," Vikus replied.

Gregor didn't like their odds at this point. Unless Ripred had a significant amount of rat-power on his side, they were still badly outnumbered. He looked at the map Vikus had pulled out of the front drawer of the desk he was sitting at. It appeared to be a map of Regalia and the surrounding area.

"The good news is," Vikus began, giving Gregor a ray of hope, "we are here," he pointed to a spot atop a large hill, "and they are down here," pointing at a dot a few miles or so south of their position. "We have a tremendous advantage in terms of ground here. We are situated on the top of a mountain of sorts, which means that not only will they have to come to us if they want to battle, we will also be able to see them coming and ready ourselves for their assault.

"And that is why I do not fear any assault in the near future. Even with their numbers, their disadvantage is so large in this respect that they do not dare plan an assault. I find it far more likely that they will try to hold us under siege, and we have much more resources than they have at this moment," Vikus finished.

Gregor was relieved. At least they weren't being threatened with an immediate attack. But he didn't like the look coming over Vikus. He looked as if he was trying to answer a question that he didn't know the answer for. "I'm afraid though, Gregor, that war within ourselves would threaten to destroy our race beyond repair. We need to seize this opportunity to come to terms with these people, to show them that peace within ourselves and with the gnawers is the right option. Our numbers are already small enough as it is. If this conflict comes to open war, the odds of our race surviving will be little to none."

Gregor was surprised by how this conversation had turned so quickly. Vikus' advice meant a lot to Gregor. Not to say that Gregor always took Vikus' advice, but he always considered it before making any plans. But now Vikus was saying to make peace with them? Gregor found that a laughable idea. Make peace with Stellovet? Gregor couldn't see that happening.

"Gregor, I think it best that you get some rest. As I said, there is no immediate danger to Regalia at the moment, and, quite frankly, you look exhausted."

Gregor couldn't deny that, he was exhausted. Not only that, but he really wanted to find Luxa and talk to her for a while. "Vikus?" he said as he moved toward the door.

"Yes?"

"Thanks. For everything. I'll see you later," Gregor muttered, exiting the room.

"Goodnight, warrior," Vikus called as the door shut behind him and he retraced his steps through Regalia back to the dormitory area of Regalia. Not to his room, though. He made a beeline to the queen's quarters. He had waited all too long for this conversation.

Gregor found himself walking faster and faster the closer he got to Luxa's quarters. For four months, he had been thinking how great it would be to be in this moment. And he hadn't been wrong. He felt like he could do anything when he was with Luxa. He felt amazing when she was around.

As he approached the door leading into her chambers, he tried hard to contain the excitement bubbling up inside him. He stood outside the door for a moment, collecting himself. _Act casual_, he told himself, _it's just Luxa._ He knocked on the door, and in just a few seconds, she was at the door. "Hi," he said softly and simply.

Luxa looked at him like that was the most adorable pickup line she had ever heard. "Hi," she replied.

They stood there awkwardly until Gregor put in, "Mind if I drop in?"

"Oh, of course, Gregor. Come on in," Luxa replied, seeming to come back to reality.

As Gregor entered the room, he was surprised by the luxurious fixtures that adorned the room. He had been in this room briefly, before it had become Luxa's room. But that had been years ago, it seemed. Actually it had only been five months or so, but he figured that time had slowed at least in half while he had been in the Overland.

They strolled over to the couch across the room from the door and sat down next to each other. "So," Gregor began somewhat awkwardly, "it's been a while since I've seen you."

"Yes, it has," Luxa replied with similar awkwardness. There was an uncomfortable silence as they both tried to think of something to say.

Finally, Gregor decided to change the subject for the time being. "So, it sounds like you guys are in quite a fix here. With the civil war and all."

"Yes, it is unsettling," Luxa commented, grateful for the change in conversation. "I'm sure you've talked to Vikus already?"

"Yeah, what do you think about the whole thing? Vikus seemed pretty sure that peace was the best option," Gregor answered, anxious to know if Luxa agreed with Vikus.

"I am unsure about what we should do. On one hand, I understand his point of view. There is something to be said about preserving our race, but I am unsure if that is just a cover for cowardice."

Gregor understood what Luxa was saying. Vikus had never been especially brave, always looking for a peaceful solution, even during the war against the gnawers. He had always been trying to look for peaceful solutions where there were none.

But there was one here, given that Gregor decided to take it. As he thought, he couldn't get Hamnet's statement, "There are many alternatives to violence if you make in effort to develop them" out of his head. He remembered Frill the hisser, who had razor-sharp teeth if she decided to use them, but would try every other option possible before she would. Gregor wondered how the Underland would be if everyone adopted that philosophy. Or the Overland, for that matter. _And, they aren't really an enemy here. Not like the rats were._ And in that moment, he knew he would have to try to do what Vikus suggested. To at least try and make peace, before all hell broke loose and it was too late.

Luxa continued, "Also, I don't believe that Stellovet will be much interested in a peaceful solution. I think that she will stop at nothing to take the throne from me."

"I think we should try. Shouldn't we at least try to talk with them?" Gregor implored, "Even if there's just a little bit of a chance that they might listen to us?" Gregor had to admit that the odds were heavily against the people of the Fount reasoning with Regalia at this point, but he didn't feel like making that decision for them. He thought that they should have a choice.

Luxa looked up into Gregor's eyes, searching his expression. Apparently deciding that Gregor wouldn't be dissuaded, she said, "I do not see the point in this, but if you feel this strongly about it, all right. We can try to reason with them, but even if we tried, who would we send? Who among us would they listen to?"

Gregor didn't have to think too long to answer that question. "I'll go," he stated. Luxa looked at him incredulously, unbelieving. Gregor continued, "I'm the one who killed the Bane in the first place. I saved them. They owe me big time. Well, maybe not_ that_ big time, but still, I can't believe that they wouldn't talk to me, could you?"

Luxa pondered this for a moment, then said, "I am afraid I can't think of anyone else better for this task. But, Gregor," she said in a warning tone, "You must be extremely cautious in dealing with these people. Remember, they have rebelled against us. Even if it is you who goes, they will probably not welcome you. They may even hate you, for all we know!"

Gregor knew all this, but he was convinced that he was the right person for this job. "Alright, alright. Calm down. I really doubt they hate me. I haven't done anything to them."

"You are already associated with Regalia in this conflict. And, more specifically, me."

Gregor couldn't deny that. He had known that his relationship with Luxa was no secret. Howard, Stellovet's brother, had actually been one of the first to realize it. No, there was no doubt that the Fount knew that he was on Luxa's side, no matter what. "Well, they're just going to have to deal with that," Gregor said with an air of confidence. He smiled at Luxa, and she smiled back.

"I missed you, Gregor," Luxa whispered after a silence.

"Ditto," Gregor chimed.

"What?" Luxa asked, and Gregor remembered that with how formally Underlanders talked, she probably had never heard the word "ditto" before.

"I mean, I missed you too," Gregor stammered. He felt his cheeks grow hot. He gave Luxa a long hug, got up off of the couch, and walked toward the door across the room. As he reached the door, he turned to look behind him. Luxa was still sitting on the couch, with a faraway gaze on her face. "Goodnight," he called as he left the room.

"Goodnight, Gregor," she returned with the same look in her eyes. And Gregor retreated from the door, saying nothing more.

As Gregor strolled slowly back to the general dormitory quarters of Regalia, his conversation with Luxa kept replaying in his head. He wasn't exactly looking forward to talking to the rebels at the Fount, he had to admit. He hadn't ever liked Stellovet. Actually, he had seriously disliked her ever since they had met a couple years ago. But as he went over and over his idea in his head, he became more and more convinced that talking to them was the right option.

_You have to give them a choice. You have to make them understand_, Gregor kept thinking to himself. _If we just go into an all-out war without even considering the other options, we'll never resolve this. Not really._

Gregor knew this was the truth. He knew that whatever side won would never accept the other side back like it used to be. The Regalians and the people of the Fount would be permanently separated from each other. And if they were permanently split into two groups, the odds were low that they would survive without each other. Gregor kept thinking about the other creatures in the Underland. About how some of them were probably waiting for the humans to be brought low and then finish them. Gregor couldn't let that happen.

He reached the main dormitory area and peeked in at the room where his dad and Lizzie were sleeping. They were stretched out on the beds, exhausted and sleeping soundly.

"Can I help you?" came a voice from behind him. He turned around quickly, startled, and saw the familiar face of Dulcet the nanny. "Gregor! How good it is to see you here!" she cried, wrapping him in a tight hug. "It has been so long since you've come, or at least it seems as much. Here, let me show you to your room," she continued in her ever-bright, helpful tone.

Gregor followed her down a hallway to the room farthest down. Dulcet motioned to the right, and cheerily said, "I guess you could say that you get a room upgrade this trip!" Gregor looked into the room, and he had to agree with her. It certainly was a upgrade from the generic room he had stayed in before, in the brief stints that he was actually in Regalia and not on a quest.

It wasn't as flashy as Luxa's apartment, but it seemed about the same size, just more simply decorated. There was a large bed opposite the door, and a loveseat adjacent. There was a door in the left wall, apparently leading to the bathroom. "Wow," Gregor remarked, "This is a really nice place."

"Certainly. This room was used as a prince's quarters in the early days of Regalia, but now we typically use it for visiting dignitaries from other areas. Which I suppose you are, come to think of it," she giggled. She chimed, "Well, you wait here while I retrieve some clothes for you to wear while you are here." And with that, she was off again.

Gregor turned his gaze from the door, glancing around the room at the sparse decorations. It felt like someone had just moved out, but had left the furniture. It felt empty. Also kind of sad. He walked over to the bed, and sat down, testing it. It was way bigger and better than his own at home. But, then again, so was everything else in the room.

He took Ares' claw out of his pocket and placed it carefully on the nightstand. It was strange how much at home Gregor felt in Regalia, since it wasn't his home, or even remotely like it. _It's because this is where you belong, _he told himself. _You belong here._

He had to repeat the phrase in his head a few times before he began to process what his heart was telling him. He knew now that he had to find a way that he could stay here. For forever. He had contemplated the idea in his head many times over the past few months, but he had never really believed himself until this moment.

At that moment, he heard a knock at the door. "Gregor?" Dulcet's voice came from behind the door.

"Come on in, Dulcet," Gregor called back, and the door swung open. Dulcet walked over to Gregor's bed, a pile of Underland clothes in her arms. She dropped the pile onto the bed, saying, "Be sure that when you remove your Overland clothes, to have them taken from you so they can be burned. But I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah, I know," Gregor replied. But then Gregor wondered aloud, "Why do I have to get rid of my scent now? We aren't fighting the rats anymore."

"Gregor," Dulcet began in a chiding tone, "just because we aren't warring with the rats any longer doesn't mean that some rats, or other creatures, do not still want you killed." She said it in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it was perfectly obvious.

"Oh," Gregor muttered. He hadn't thought of that, really. He supposed Dulcet was right, though. It seemed that he was in constant danger of being killed by something down here. "Well, thanks Dulcet. You've been a huge help," he told Dulcet as she was exiting the room.

"No worries, Gregor. Let me know if you have need of anything," Dulcet replied as she closed the door behind her and left Gregor in the large room, alone.

After all this, Gregor remembered how disgusting he probably was at the moment. He hadn't even bathed since they had trekked through the tunnel two days before. He walked into the bathroom, and was amazed at the spaciousness of it. It wasn't as big as the bedroom was, but it was still large by Overland standards.

When he had come before, he had changed and bathed in a large locker room of sorts, used by the people in the dormitory where his dad and Lizzie were. Now he had this huge room all to himself, which was somewhat comforting, since he didn't have to be self-conscious when he took off his grimy clothes. He took a long bath in the large tub with perfectly heated water.

It was interesting, how the water flowed from one end of the tub to the other and disappeared, like a built-in plumbing system. He had used this fact to try to escape his first time down. That had been the first night he had ever spent in the Underland. Before he had even met the rats. Or many of the humans, for that matter.

After a solid half hour sitting in the bath, he dried himself and put on the Underland clothes Dulcet had brought him. He looked at his Overland clothes, knowing that this would more than likely be the last time he ever saw them. He was glad that he had thought ahead, and brought really cheap clothes, so that he wouldn't be so irritated when they burned them.

He strolled out of the bathroom, and walked toward his bed. As he climbed in, the collective stress and fatigue that had been weighing on him for the past few days hit him all at once. As he was turning off the lamp on the nightstand beside his bed, he looked up at the stone roof of the room.

Looking at the pattern the stone slabs made in the ceiling, Gregor allowed himself to savor the moment. _You're finally here_, he thought to himself. He blinked sleepily a few times, his head falling back on the pillow. He turned the switch on the lamp, enveloping the room in a deep darkness that only comes on a starless night.

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><p><strong>And that's a wrap on Chapter 5!<strong>

**Not sure exactly what I'm going to do about this story. I know where I want it to go, and I have a lot of the plot lined out. I'm just not sure if the interest is there, so I will leave it up to you guys. If you guys want more chapters, please leave a review and tell me so. I hate disappointing people. If reviews indicate that you want more, I will release Chapter 6 as soon as I can (probably a week or so).**

**And with that, I leave it to you. Review if you want more!**

**And thanks for reading!**

**-Writertobe1**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again, good people!**

**I am finally back! After four long weeks of dramatic buildup, Chapter 6 is finally finished!**

**I have SO many people to thank for their reviews this time around! Special thanks to TheSpaceMelons, B-I-T-W4Ever, attack on underland, AresTheUnderlander, SirNoSir, TMGermany, Violettvalentine, marcbluedragon, lilly, pyro159, Luxa's Royal Guard, and someone who wished to remain anonymous! You guys are amazing, and the reason why this is here right now!**

**That's about it for me!**

**Enjoy,**

**-Writertobe1**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

After what seemed like just a few minutes of sleep, Gregor was scared out of it by Ripred. "Warrior, not to STARTLE you, but we have need of you in the war room NOW!" the rat got up close to his ears for the emphasized words. Gregor nearly jumped out of his own skin, blindly swinging his arms toward the loud noise.

Easily whacking Gregor's arm away, Ripred snapped, "I know you, of all people, need your beauty sleep, but there are certain things that must be done today! And here you are, wasting it all! Disgusting."

And with that, Ripred stormed out of the room, presumably headed for the war room himself. Gregor was irritated by the rat's bluntness, but he obeyed quickly. It wasn't a good thing to get Ripred angry at you. And not just because he was impossible to deal with.

As Gregor rose from his bed, he was relieved to feel that the sleep had done him much good. He had become numb to the pent-up exhaustion he had been feeling over the past few days, but now he felt refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead. _All I need is a hearty breakfast and it'll be just like those cereal commercials, _he thought to himself.

He hadn't been particularly looking forward to this day. Today, he would be flown out to the Fount to attempt to reason with Stellovet about a peace agreement which was doomed to failure. Gregor knew that, but he still had a glimmer of hope that they would listen to reason, even though some of them had gone so far as to move away from Regalia because they were against Luxa and the Regalians' ideals.

Gregor exited his suite, and walked slowly down the hallway, retracing his steps from the night before. He still had to ask for directions a couple of times along the way, but at least he had a general idea of where he was going.

He strolled through the hospital section, noticing how empty it was compared to all the other times he had been there. Then again, the only other times he had really been through here were when people were either sick from the plague or recovering from battle wounds. And there had been lots of them. He remembered all of the casualties of the last war, and thought about how if his mission today didn't succeed, this hospital would likely be filled with the wounded again. And again. The thought hardened his resolve, and he started to walk more briskly toward the war room.

Once he reached the room, he was surprised to find so many there. Ripred and two other rats sat on the outside of one of four tables that had been conjoined into a square, allowing room for twenty or so to sit along the outside of the tables, all able to see whoever was speaking. On the second side of tables sat Vikus and Luxa, with a space between them. Almost the entire remaining space at the tables were filled by councilmen or others of significant position.

Sitting across from the open seat, however, between the rats and the council members, Gregor was glad to see his dad and Lizzie. They looked much better than they had last night. He imagined they felt much the same as he did, refreshed and invigorated. Inwardly, Gregor took a long sigh of relief for their sakes.

Gregor had expected to see plates and such on the tables, because it seemed that it was a mealtime meeting, but by the way Ripred had been, he could only assume he'd slept through breakfast.

"Ah, it seems that the warrior has finally seen fit to join us," Ripred snarled from his seat. The rat motioned for Gregor to sit at the seat between Luxa and Vikus. He quickly walked to the seat, sat down, at looked up at Ripred.

"As I was saying," Ripred began with a scowl in Gregor's direction, "I am in favor of the warrior's decision. There is no harm in trying, at least in this instance. Also, I further approve that he should be the one to do it. He risked his life to save them in this past conflict, so it is only natural that they be friendly with him, even if he is somehow associated with us."

Apparently this had been a hot topic of conversation, because one of the councilmen across the room broke in, "I object! If something, however unlikely, did happen to the warrior, what would we do? We will have lost the one hope we have of retaining any morale in the ranks! Or what if they just decided to take him prisoner instead of conversing with him!"

There was a general sound of assent from the other council members.

"I don't care if it's bloody risky! This is our only chance to avoid this conflict, and I will not stand by and let it be thrown away!" Ripred burst out.

"Ripred's right!" Gregor called out, and immediately he felt the eyes of everyone else in the room come to rest on him. "I mean, if I don't do this, there will be war. And soon. But if I do go, even if I can't talk them out of war with us, I can at least buy us some time to think of something else. We don't have a choice!"

Vikus, always the peacemaker, broke in, "Let the queen decide in this matter. Goodness knows she cares more for Gregor than we do."

There were nods of assent from the council members and the rats alike, and all eyes turned to Luxa. But Gregor already knew what her answer would be.

"If it is left to me, then I approve of this venture," Luxa insisted, "Furthermore, I advise that he should leave as soon as is possible, even within the next few hours."

Even though Gregor had figured that she would say this, he couldn't help heaving an audible sigh of relief to hear her say it out loud. They would have to let him go now, that or risk going against the queen's orders. By the looks the council members were giving each other, it didn't seem likely that they would put up a fight.

"It's settled then," Vikus broke the silence. "Gregor will depart for the Fount at the earliest opportunity, and will attempt to negotiate peace. This council is dismissed."

With a bit of grumbling, the council members rose and sauntered out of the room, as did all the rats, besides Ripred. He still didn't seem to have gotten over Gregor's tardiness, as he kept a steely glare fixed on the boy. When the door had shut behind the backs of the last of the members, Ripred broke his stare at Gregor, and said to Luxa, "Thanks for that. Your people are so stubborn, it's ridiculous. I guess it never hurts to be bonded to the queen, does it?"

Luxa diplomatically ignored the quip about the Regalians and replied, "It is of nothing. I only spoke what I believe is true about the matter."

"Well, as long as the truth is what I think, I'll take it," Ripred replied with a sly grin.

"Perhaps, before he leaves, the Overlander could take some refreshment?" Vikus cut in, "As I am sure you assumed, you were a tad too late for the morning meal."

"More than just a tad, if you ask me," Ripred muttered under his breath.

Gregor nodded gratefully. He hadn't felt it when he had just awoken, but he was famished. He hadn't had a good meal since dinner the night he had arrived in the Underland. It was only a few minutes before the tables that the six of them were sitting at were covered in food and drink, one of the perks of being in with the queen of Regalia, Gregor supposed. He tried to take it slowly at first, but after a few bites, everything tasted so good he started eating faster and faster.

Watching this happen, Ripred looked at Lizzie with a twinkle in his eye and joked, "Well, all this time with you and he still hasn't learned manners yet? Incredible," he finished, feigning a disgusted tone. Lizzie giggled.

Gregor was a bit irritated by Ripred's comment, but all of that melted away when he heard Lizzie giggle like that. She had a funny little giggle, very vibrant and high-pitched. It was one of Gregor's favorite sounds in the world.

After a minute or so of silence, Gregor finally surfaced from his food and asked Ripred, "So how am I going to get to the Fount? I couldn't just walk there, could I?"

"Of course not, brainless! It would mean walking for miles through enemy territory, with constant danger of being attacked or ambushed. You will fly there, thank you very much!" Ripred replied in an incredulous, mocking tone.

"Who will fly me there?" Gregor asked, wondering if it would be a flier he knew.

"Not sure about that one. You need someone with strength and speed, just in case you need to get out of there quick," Ripred answered, seemingly trying to think of the right one for this task. Suddenly, he seemed to have a burst of inspiration, and said, "Aeolus would probably be the one you want. He's one of the strongest and fastest fliers we have, and he doesn't mind putting himself in danger, let me tell you."

Aeolus. Gregor didn't think he had heard that name before. "I've never heard of him," Gregor said.

"That's not too surprising. He's fairly young, so he isn't battle-tested per se, but I can tell you that he is probably one of the most capable fliers we have left," Ripred replied, "And since you have the wealth of battle experience you have, warrior, I think you two would be well suited for each other."

Gregor wasn't too sure about it, but he figured he would trust the rat with this one. Ripred tended to know about these things better than Gregor, anyway. "Well, that's settled then," he chimed as he rose from the table and began to exit the room. He heard Ripred rise from his seat and begin to follow him.

Just as the door was closing behind Gregor, it swung open again as Ripred followed him through the hallways towards where they would be leaving. "A couple of last-minute tips for the road, if you don't mind," the rat began, clearly not caring too much whether Gregor minded or not, "First, and most importantly, if anything goes wrong with the negotiations, you need to get the hell out of there. Establish a meeting place with Aeolus that you can go to if needed. It is imperative that you are not held there. As much as I hate to admit it, we need you more than most anything else here, and not just for your fairly limited fighting abilities."

Gregor tried to ignore the rat's comments about him and decided to let him continue.

"And second, on the very slight chance that they say they will agree to peace, don't trust them. But I think that you already knew that," Ripred finished with a knowing glance in Gregor's direction. It was true, Gregor knew that a colony that was run by Stellovet and her crew was not to be trusted by any means.

Gregor nodded, but as he turned again to go to the platform where he was departing from, Ripred stopped him. "And one more thing before you go. Call it a goodbye present." After saying this, Ripred turned around and walked back to the war room, disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with an enormous sword in his paws. Sandwich's sword.

"You fixed it?" Gregor asked incredulously. The last time he had seen the sword, he had broken it in half over his knee in a fit of anger.

"Of course we did, boy. I told you so in that letter I sent you," Ripred answered.

Remembering the letter, and how intentionally cryptic it had been, put Gregor into a foul mood. "You didn't tell me anything in the letter! That was the whole point!" Gregor complained.

Ripred chuckled and replied, "I know, I know. Truly, you have no idea how fun it was, writing that and imagining the look on your face!"

Gregor seethed inwardly, but he reached out to receive the sword. As he pulled it from its sheath, he remembered why he had liked this sword better than all the others. It felt perfectly balanced in his grip. He thought about how mixed his emotions had been over the last few months, when he had imagined this moment. Before, he had wondered how he would feel. Overjoyed? Terrified? Powerful? But now that the sword was in his hands again, he couldn't think of a word to describe how having it back made him feel. And he was okay with that.

"Be careful with that, warrior," Ripred chided, "It's sharp, you know." He shot Gregor a wink, turned on his heels, and walked away in the opposite direction back where he'd come from.

Once he was out of sight, Gregor turned the sword over a few times experimentally. The reflection of the lighting on the ceiling cast patterns on the wall each time he flipped it over. He eventually sheathed it again, and hooked the sheath into his belt. As he continued down the hallways, he felt the sheath bouncing up and down against his leg with every step. It was a strange feeling, but he figured he would stop noticing it eventually.

When he arrived at the platform, he was surprised that it was completely empty. He had figured they would have people here to see him off on his mission, but he just shrugged his shoulders and took a seat, waiting for his flier to arrive. Thinking to himself as he waited, he realized that the last time he had flown with just a flier was the time that he and Ares had fought the Bane. The time Ares had been slain.

He tried to keep the memories from coming back to him, but they were too much. He had missed Ares terribly ever since he had left the Underland a few months ago. He was sure that he would never want to bond with another flier again. He couldn't go through all that again. He had had enough loss for one lifetime already. A solitary tear drifted down his cheek as he sat in the dim light of the stone platform.

All of a sudden, he heard the sound of bat's wings fluttering towards him from behind. He turned his head to look, and a large bat came into view. He looked smaller than Ares had been, but not by much. He, like Ares, was mostly black, but he had a bit of brown on the outer half of his wings.

The bat fluttered downward, and came to stop on the platform in front of Gregor. "Aeolus, right?" Gregor inquired.

"That is my name. I likewise assume that you will be my rider today?" Aeolus replied. He had a very deep voice, almost ultrasonically deep. Having low voices was normal for fliers, but Aeolus's was even lower than Ares' had been.

"That's right," Gregor replied, "I'm Gregor." He reached out in a handshake gesture.

The bat returned the gesture, holding his claw out. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Gregor. I have heard much about you, and have eagerly awaited this meeting," Aeolus said politely, and they shook. They stood for a few seconds, looking each other up and down.

Gregor broke the silence, saying, "Well, I guess we'd better get going," and started to climb onto Aeolus's back.

"Indeed we should," Aeolus agreed eagerly. Gregor could tell the bat had been looking forward to something like this for a while. "Hold on!" the bat called back to Gregor.

Gregor grabbed hold, but he still wasn't ready for the kind of liftoff Aeolus gave. It felt like he was riding one of those roller coasters that launch you out of the station. Aeolus may have been smaller than Ares was, but he wasn't slower by any means. Gregor almost cried out with fright, but he couldn't with the strong wind the speed produced.

In just a few of the longest minutes of Gregor's life, Aeolus began to decelerate and descend toward the Fount. As it came it came into clearer view, Gregor thought, _This is it. This is your one shot at ending this war before it starts. Don't blow it. _And with that, Aeolus landed with a quick halt about a hundred yards away from the front gate of the palace of the Fount. Aeolus whispered, "I will wait here in the shadows for your return."

"Thanks, Aeolus," Gregor replied, "Be ready to escape if we have to. Now that I know how fast you can go, I'm not too worried." Gregor hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he wanted to be ready just in case. And with that, he began walking towards the front gate. He tried to maintain a confident stride, even though he didn't feel very confident, and before he knew it he was at the gate. He stared at the pattern on the wooden gate and took a moment.

Gregor summoned up all of his courage, knocking loudly three times. He heard a shuffle from within, several people running up to the gate. _Probably well armed,_ Gregor thought to himself.

"Who is there?" came a deep voice from inside.

Mimicking the formal tone, Gregor replied, "One who must enter to speak with Stellovet, the queen of the Fount!"

There was much murmuring behind the gate, an argument whether or not to open the gate, Gregor supposed. After a minute or two, however, there came a great bang of a lock being undone, and the gate swung open before him to reveal four guards, all carrying torches. The guards were visibly taken aback seeing Gregor, a couple sucking in their breaths, gasping. Gregor figured that they wouldn't be expecting to see him around here, but it was somewhat amusing to see their reaction. He suppressed a chuckle.

Finally one of the guards got up the courage to speak, saying, "You are Gregor the Overlander, are you not?"

"Yes, I am," Gregor said with an air of confidence. "I am here on a diplomatic mission. I insist on speaking to Stellovet at the earliest opportunity."

Gregor was trying to be intimidating, and it seemed to be working. The guards' eyes widened, and they started to back away, except for one. The one who remained, apparently a captain or officer of some sort, replied simply, "Follow me, if you would," turned, and began walking toward the palace.

Gregor followed the officer through the dark until they reached the entrance to the palace. The officer did a series of knocks on the doorway, a code of sorts, and the door swung open. "Pilates, what brings you here this day?" came a voice from within.

"A rather unexpected arrival," Pilates replied, motioning towards Gregor with his hand. The doorman's eyes grew large, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "Well, that is unexpected. Come in, then. I will notify the queen." He motioned inward, and Gregor followed the captain through the door. He grimaced slightly when he heard the door clap shut behind him and the lock click. _There's no going back now_, he thought to himself.

The lackey who had opened the door showed Gregor to a bench adjacent to the door, motioning for him to sit. "It should only be a few minutes," he said to Gregor, and added under his breath, "I feel that Stellovet will want to see you sooner rather than later." He turned abruptly and exited the room through a door opposite where Gregor sat.

Gregor took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, trying to calm himself down. He decided to try to distract himself by looking around the room. By looking at the furnishings, Gregor could tell that the Fount was nowhere near as well off as Regalia. Decorations were sparse, mostly just bare stone walls with doors carved in them, unlike the extravagantly decorated halls of the Regalian palace.

_Feels more like a prison,_ Gregor thought to himself. That thought didn't help him calm down any. He had been thrown into a dungeon for a couple of days just a few months ago, and he still shuddered at the thought. He decided to just close his eyes and try to think of what to say to Stellovet to get her to loosen her grip on the idea of civil war.

It turned out he didn't have long to think about it, because just as he closed his eyes, the man from before burst into the room, a bit out of breath. Gregor looked up, and the man's face changed quickly to the same polite smile as before as he said, "The queen will see you now. Follow me, if you would."

Gregor rose quickly and walked across the room as the man turned and retreated through the same door, seeming to be in quite a hurry. Gregor chuckled to himself as he imagined the look on Stellovet's face when she had received the news that the Overlander had arrived. Undoubtedly she had emphatically commanded the doorman to get him as quickly as possible. _Like I'm going somewhere,_ Gregor thought to himself.

After passing down a few hallways, they arrived at a large wooden door, at least twelve feet tall. "This way," the doorman motioned. Gregor took a deep breath, let it out, and followed the man through the enormous door into Stellovet's throne room.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's it for Chapter 6! Another cliffhanger, I know, forgive me! Hopefully Chapter 7 will be out sooner than this one was! <strong>

**Before I sign off, just want to let you guys know that I am doing a Q&A thing with the reviews of this chapter, so if you want to ask me anything, please include it in your review of this chapter and I will answer it in the forward of the next chapter!**

**Expect Chapter 7 in one or two weeks, probably March 20-21 or so!**

**-Writertobe1**


	7. Message From The Author

**Hello everyone, Writertobe1 here!**

**You may have come here expecting Chapter 7 of Gregor and the War to End All (and that would make sense) BUT... this is not it! In fact, it is rather quite the opposite of Chapter 7. I am writing today to tell you that Gregor and the War to End All is now (and will forever be) a DISCONTINUED project. **

**Now I know how much a lot of you will hate me for this. "The story was just getting good!" you'll say, and yes, I agree it was. But I have found something much better to do with the Underland Chronicles sixth book. So much better, in fact, that I think we will all look back at this in the end and be glad I changed directions with this project. **

**Let me tell you what I'm not doing before I get to my idea. **

**FIRST, I am NOT leaving forever! I must be clear on this! The reason I am discontinuing this is that I will be too busy on my new, better FF project! **

**SECOND, I am NOT leaving the Underland Chronicles in terms of what I am writing for!**

**THIRD, I am NOT abandoning my essential story points that I started in Gregor and the War to End All! Some details will be changed, but I plan to keep most of the rest of the book essentially the same.**

**Now I'll say what I am doing.**

**I am DISCONTINUING Gregor and the War to End All! There will be no more chapters written in that name ever again.**

**I am leaving for a time while I write the next story's first several chapters. If you've read my stuff, you know that my chapters are long, so it will be quite a while before I am back!**

**And now for the explanation of my idea:**

**A week or so ago, I was in a car riding all day down highway after highway, when we passed one of those signs that lists three places and the mileages to reach them, and one of the names hit me like a freight train! (I happened to be thinking of this project at the time I passed it) I had one of those incredible experiences where everything just clicked all at once. (A bunch of unresolved plot points from the series!) I won't tell you what was on the sign, that would spoil the surprise, BUT I will tell you that I am essentially going to be re-writing the first six chapters of Gregor and the War to End All (keeping a few paragraphs here and there) and changing the beginning almost entirely. In a sense, I will begin with the same scene as Chapter 1 does, and in a completely different fashion, end up with the last scene in Chapter 6. It will be SO much better than this six chapter set I can't believe it. (Can you tell I'm excited?)**

**Now before I leave for the last time in a while, I would like to thank every one of you who read the six chapters I put out (I'm assuming you did since you got to this message). Reading six chapters of anything (especially my lengthy chapters!) is quite a lot of time to invest in something, which is why I'm going to try to make this next six chapter set so much better, so that you don't feel you wasted your investment with me.**

**I'd also like to thank all the wonderful people who reviewed along the way, fueling my creativity with positive remarks! I wouldn't be who I am as a writer without you. In fact, if it hadn't been for you, my mind probably wouldn't have been in the Underland the other day when I was riding down the highway, and I wouldn't have this idea in the first place!**

**And speaking of reviews, if any of you have questions for me that I didn't answer in this note (which is getting lengthy now that I look at it), please leave a review or private message me! I'd love to answer any questions you have for me.**

**And with that, I believe that will be all for this project, my friends. Gregor and the War to End All is officially over. I may delete this project when I publish my second one, or I may just leave it up to be kind of a fun alternate beginning, if you will, to whatever I name my second project.**

**On a side note, if any of you need a beta-reader for your UC fanfiction projects, I am available to you during this time of my work's transition. Private message me if interested.**

**Goodbye, farewell, and you'll hear from me soon,**

**-Writertobe1**


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